Director, Office of Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research; Research Associate Professor, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Physics Laboratory Manager, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Vicki L. Plano Clark is a professor of research methods in the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati. A leading mixed methods methodologist, her scholarship focuses on designs and procedures for integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches and on the contexts that shape the adoption and use of mixed methods across disciplines. She was the founding Managing Editor and is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, co-developed the NIH Best Practices for Mixed Methods in the Health Sciences, and co-authored widely used texts such as Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Before joining Cincinnati in 2012, she directed the Office of Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and earlier managed the physics teaching laboratories there. citeturn13search7turn17search0turn23search0
A conceptual framework that situates mixed methods practice within interacting personal, interpersonal, and social contexts, organizing definitions, designs, quality criteria, and field debates to help researchers locate and plan their work.
Methodological guidance that identifies key dimensions, variations, and issues when integrating qualitative and quantitative data over time, with recommendations for designing and implementing longitudinal mixed methods studies.
Contemporary Educational Psychology • Journal
Editorial for a special issue showcasing mixed methods in educational psychology. Articulates the centrality of purposeful integration, identifies concrete integration strategies used across studies, and offers guidance for planning, implementing, and communicating integrated analyses to yield insights that exceed either method alone.
PLOS ONE • Journal
Methodological review of 23 mixed methods studies (2004–2015) on youth and young adult tobacco control. Most studies used concurrent designs with equal priority, covering topics from behavior and branding to cessation. The review highlights innovative applications and common reporting challenges, and offers practical recommendations for future mixed methods work in tobacco control.
Journal of Mixed Methods Research • Journal
Reviews empirical health‑science studies that self‑identify as both longitudinal and mixed methods to delineate how researchers combine approaches over time. Identifies key design dimensions (e.g., timing, emphasis, integration points), variations, and recurring challenges, and provides recommendations for planning and integrating longitudinal qualitative and quantitative databases.
Journal of Mixed Methods Research • Journal
Examines how to embed interpretive qualitative inquiry within an RCT of cancer pain management. Details practices for formulating embedded research questions, designing qualitative data collection within RCT constraints, and conducting interpretive analyses that deepen understanding of trial outcomes—offering guidance for intervention researchers planning embedded designs.
The Leadership Quarterly • Journal
Surveys articles published in The Leadership Quarterly (1990–2012) to assess the prevalence and use of mixed methods. Identifies relatively few mixed methods studies, summarizes design characteristics used, and argues for purposeful application of mixed methods to address the complexity of leadership phenomena and to advance leadership theory.
Qualitative Inquiry • Journal
Analyzes recent U.S. federally funded health projects to assess adoption of mixed methods. Finds that the number of funded mixed methods projects has grown yet remains a small share overall. Projects typically integrate advanced qualitative and quantitative procedures and reflect conventions of the mixed methods community. The paper offers recommendations to strengthen alignment between investigators’ design choices and funding mechanisms.
Journal of Family Issues • Journal
Introduces mixed methods for family science and reviews 19 exemplar studies. Provides definitions, design types, and implementation guidance (e.g., sampling, analysis, validity) and discusses practical issues encountered when combining qualitative and quantitative data in family research; concludes with recommendations for researchers considering mixed methods.
SAGE Publications • Book
Comprehensive textbook that walks readers through the full mixed methods process—from philosophical foundations to design, data collection and analysis, integration, and reporting. The third edition expands to seven core designs (including convergent, explanatory sequential, and exploratory sequential), adds advanced applications (e.g., trials, case studies, participatory designs, program evaluations), and highlights strategies for meaningful integration such as joint displays and validity considerations.
SAGE Publications • Book
Introduces a socio‑ecological view of the mixed methods field, organizing key topics, debates, and designs, and explaining what mixed methods is, why it is used, how quality is judged, and how personal, interpersonal, and social contexts shape practice. Designed to help scholars locate their work within the broader field and engage in current conversations.
Pearson Education • Book
Introductory text that helps readers interpret and evaluate research reports. Covers the structure of research articles, problem statements, literature reviews, purposes and questions, quantitative and qualitative methods, and criteria for judging quality, with guided examples and exercises integrated throughout.
SAGE Publications • Book
Edited collection that brings together foundational methodological writings and exemplar mixed methods studies from across disciplines. Part I traces the development of the field (design typologies, sampling, analysis, validity, reporting); Part II presents model studies illustrating major design types to guide researchers’ own applications.