Tools of State: Using Research to Inform Policy Decisions in Higher Education

For many decades, states and the federal government have used both qualitative and quantitative studies to inform policy decisions, yet there have been longstanding concerns among qualitative researchers that their work is treated as second class. This paper examines an alternative construction of the problem. Policymakers in states and federal agencies treat policy research as tools of state—instruments to be used by policy makers—a practice in conflict with the moral stance of many qualitative researchers. Recognizing this problem, I provide guidance for constructing quantitative and qualitative research to inform decisions on policies on equity in preparation for, access to, and academic success in higher education without undermining the researchers’ quest for truth.