Decision in favor of quali or quanti methods is traditionally mediated by the debate between paradigms of knowledge construction. In general, the text-books on methodology of the research associate the quali methods to the constructivist-phenomenological paradigm, whereas the quanti methods are usually associated to positivist pretensions. This article explores the process of decision between methodologies from the perspective of the causal mechanisms, which are being developed under multiple orientations. It also seeks to deepen the discussion over the various implications of choosing a certain method (quali, quanti, or mixed), examining their possible applications in the social sciences.
quali-quanti methodologies; Causal mechanisms; Social mechanisms
