A Multi-method Research Strategy for Understanding Change in the Rate of Working Poor in the North Central Region of the United States

Spatial statistics, econometric modeling, and other quantitative research methods provide the dominant approach to conducting research in regional science. This paper contends that a deeper understanding of many regional development processes can be gained by employing mixed method research designs that combine quantitative research methods with qualitative methods. This is illustrated through an analysis of change in the working poor in the North Central region of the U.S. during the post-1990 period. The findings from this paper combined with the subsequent paper by Loveridge et al. (2007) demonstrate that deeper insight into regional development processes can be gained by using mixed method research designs compared to quantitative designs alone.