Conceptualizing Integration in Mixed Methods Research

Integration lies at the heart of mixed methods research, but it has primarily been considered from a practical rather than a conceptual or theoretical perspective. In this paper, I develop a contextually situated, parsimonious conceptual model of the substantive dimensions that constitute integration. I conclude that integration between heterogeneous components in mixed methods research is constituted by interdependence that is connected, transactional, transformative, coherent, and dynamic. This conceptual model is presented here in the expectation that it will prompt researchers to think more deeply about the phenomena they study and the integration of the methods they use to study those phenomena.