Mixed-Method Research and Democratization Studies: A Critical Assessment

• In Event: Separatism and Democratization: Using Ethnography to Identify Mechanisms

Abstract

This paper offers a critical assessment of recent research employing multi-methods approaches, both of the triangulation and integrative varieties, in the field of democratization studies. I argue that the major contribution of multi-method research (MMR) to the field is to bring into dialogue different research traditions. Because ontological coherence often means that different methodologies get tied to specific research traditions, the tendency is for scholarship to become fragmented. Within this context, works employing MMR act as intellectual “brokers” bringing into dialogue research from the different traditions. This is a significant contribution in that it enhances the collaborative nature of scholarship without compromising methodological rigor for the field at large. Thus while SMR still accounts for the bulk of scholarship in the field, MMR also serves an important role in the advancement of scholarly ideas and debate.

Author

• Amel F. Ahmed, University of Massachusetts, Amherst