Despite emerging interest in mixing experimental and qualitative methods, a gap exists in integrating qualitative vignettes and experimental design. We present a novel mixed methods design, the qualitative vignette experiment, defined as the use of vignettes designed to introduce experimentally controlled variation in information within qualitative semistructured interviews. We argue that this design can provide context-rich data on causal mechanisms. This article contributes to the debate on integration in mixed methods research and is useful for scholars studying human practice and the link between macro-structural conditions and micro-interpretive processes. The design builds on an integrated ontology of critical realism and a complementary epistemological foundation of postpositivism and interpretivism. This means that researchers have to adhere to multiple validity criteria.

尽管人们对混合实验方法和定性方法产生了兴趣，但在定性小插图和实验设计的集成方面仍存在差距。我们提出了一种新颖的混合方法设计，即定性小插图实验，定义为使用小插图设计，以在定性半结构化访谈中引入实验控制的信息变化。我们认为，这种设计可以提供因果机制的上下文相关数据。本文为关于混合方法研究中的集成问题的辩论做出了贡献，对于研究人类实践以及宏观结构条件与微观解释过程之间的联系的学者很有用。该设计基于批判现实主义的整合本体论以及后实证主义和解释主义的互补认识论基础。