Before reading chapters 1 and 2 of the course text, I had a general idea that mixed methods research was the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods in a study but not much beyond that. I had the vague notion that if a study included both quantitative and qualitative data then it would qualify as mixed methods. I also would have said that mixed methods research seems like it would be a fuller and more well-rounded approach because through qualitative methods researchers can gather data that can go deeper into phenomena that have emerged through quantitative studies. So, I had sort of an anything goes notion of mixed methods but at the same time I could only think of a quantitative to qualitative design as an intuitive and logical reason for taking this route. My understanding of mixed methods has changed in that I now see that while a mixed methods approach seems intuitive and logical, it is not always necessary and must, therefore, be used for specific and well-defined reasons and the quantitative and qualitative data must either be combined or used to enhance the study in clear and meaningful ways. I also understand that there are established research designs for mixed methods research rather than just haphazard merging of different kinds of data, and these designs go beyond the single quantitative-to-qualitative design that I mentioned above. Another insight I gained from the reading is that mixed methods has developed over decades of scholarly debate to establish it as a rigorous, robust, and respected approach to research. Possible value of a mixed methods study for different audiences: Researchers might be able to publish multiple articles using the same study, one quantitative, one qualitative, and one mixed. Mixed methods research can also add richness to the scholarly literature that quantitative or qualitative methods alone might not provide. Research participants are given a voice in a study that might otherwise have only presented individual people as statistical datapoints. Mixed methods can also serve as a way to empower people whose voices may have been historically silenced. Policymakers can use mixed methods studies to inform the creation of policy and to influence others who have power to make decisions for organizations or local and national governments to make data-driven decisions without overlooking the more in-depth and intimate human elements that pull at the heartstrings. Questions: Read the author's response above and evaluate his or her answer. What are your thoughts or opinions? Do you agree or disagree with them? Why or why not? What can you add to extend the conversation