ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I argue that the combination of theory and method, a practice within critical policy analysis, presents an opportunity for mixed-methods designs that challenge historically binary research practices. After a brief introduction that situates the traditional/quantitative, critical/qualitative binary, I begin by reviewing recent work by critical race scholars that demonstrates how quantitative work can complement critical policy analysis. Next, I problematize the various mixed-methods designs that keep quantitative and qualitative work separate, and I argue for the integration of critical frameworks throughout the design and analysis of critical mixed-methods policy research. I also provide a reflexive account of a critical mixed-methods policy analysis and discuss how the use of critical theory strengthened the study. I extend this reflection by engaging with queer theory to demonstrate the utility of engaging with critical frameworks in the design of non-binary mixed-methods research practices. The chapter concludes with the implications and possibilities for critical policy researchers to engage with quantitative and mixed-methods designs as a way to disrupt traditional research paradigms and advance a critical policy research agenda.
