Mixed Methods and the Logic of Qualitative Inference

Can quantitative evidence be valuable for qualitative research designs? Here, I first examine recent arguments by qualitative methodologists who challenge the conventional view that quantitative evidence is necessary for explanatory generalization, but note that many qualitative researchers frequently incorporate quantitative evidence in their studies, despite methodological arguments to the contrary. I then extend recent developments in mixed methods research to argue that quantitative evidence offers preliminary description of sociological patterns to be explained by qualitative investigation.