Evaluation-Oriented Mixed Methods Meta-Inference

Evaluation-oriented mixed methods meta-inference is a rigorous concluding process in program evaluation research in which the researcher integrates inferences drawn from both quantitative and qualitative strands of a mixed methods study into a single, coherent, higher-order conclusion. This meta-inference is explicitly anchored to evaluation questions — such as program worth, merit, or impact — and is judged by dual quality criteria: inferential consistency and interpretive consistency across strands.