Abstract
Mixed methods research (MMR) has gained traction among scholars owing to its ability to allow researchers to investigate a phenomenon with the lens of both qualitative and quantitative strands. However, the mixed methods field has been grappling with the challenge of demonstrating its foundation in philosophical or paradigmatic terms. To interrogate this subject of the MMR foundation, this chapter begins by tracing the evolution of MMR and then discusses why researchers find it attractive to use. The chapter moves to present the paradigmatic dilemma associated with the use of MMR. It also debates pragmatism as a philosophical position and questions whether pragmatism is an opportunistic paradigm for MMR. It produces a picture that shows the resultant logical challenge associated with MMR in practice. The chapter concludes by taking the position that it is not logically possible to carry out a study from the standpoint of a fence sitter. A researcher needs a stable disposition from which to think logically. The chapter adds weight to the growing body of MMR literature.
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