“The National Institutes of Health today released recommendations for best practices for scientists conducting mixed methods health research. Mixed methods research combines the strengths of quantitative research and qualitative research. Despite the increased interest in mixed methods research in health fields and at NIH, prior to this report, there was limited guidance to help scientists developing applications for NIH funding that featured mixed methods designs, nor was there guidance for the reviewers at NIH who assess the quality of these applications. The recommendations were created by John W. Creswell and Vicki L. Plano Clark of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Ann Carroll Klassen, Drexel University, Philadelphia; and Katherine Clegg Smith, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Additional input for the recommendations came from a diverse working group of scientists with expertise in research methodology from diverse fields such as public health, nursing and medicine. The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), part of NIH, identified the need for this guidance and commissioned the report. Multi-pronged strategies that address both prevention and treatment are critical to effectively tackling today’s most pressing public health problems, including obesity, health disparities among populations, poor adherence to treatments, and many other problems. Teams of scientists working together on the genetic, societal and behavioral causes of such problems require rigorous data to understand and effectively address these problems. This often requires both quantitative and qualitative data.”