Abstract

Objectives: The study examines trustworthiness and quality standards in mixed methods research in response to the growing use of such designs in educational and social sciences, with a focus on identifying the foundations for producing rigorous and integrated knowledge. Methods: The study adopts a theoretical literature review approach to present the conceptual foundations of mixed methods research and to analyze quality criteria related to both quantitative and qualitative components, as well as their methodological integration. Results: The findings indicate that the quality of mixed methods research is not achieved solely through the quality of each component independently, but depends primarily on the level of integration between them. The analysis also identifies methodological challenges that may hinder effective integration, such as weak connections between quantitative and qualitative findings and reliance on parallel analysis without genuine integration. Conclusions: The study concludes that evaluating mixed methods research requires a three-dimensional framework encompassing quantitative quality, qualitative trustworthiness, and integration quality. It proposes an analytical framework to enhance methodological rigor and support the production of more comprehensive and reliable conclusions.