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Abstract

There has been a scarcity of research and a huge oversight to acknowledge limitations. This inquiry comprehensively bridges this gap by investigating limitations as pivotal micro-genres in mixed methods research articles within Journal of Mixed Methods Research. We adopted a qualitatively driven method to examine 215 empirical articles from 2007 to 2023. Six major domains (methodological, conceptual, procedural, logistical, cultural/linguistic, and ethical), four functions (dismissal, confession, offset, and reflection) and specificities (attribution to quantitative, qualitative, both phases, or exclusively MMR) were disclosed, which impact the rigor, transparency, corroboration, and robustness of one’s study. This study contributes to the rapid growth of MMR by investigating the rhetorical features of its limitations that are proliferating for mixed methodologists to have a critical view of these elements.

Keywords

mixed methods research limitations domain function specificity

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Exploring Limitations in Mixed Methods Research (MMR): Domains,Functions,and Specificity

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