The historical debate surrounding quantitative and qualitative research paradigms has been at times rather passionate. Arguments for and against methodologies often have centered on the philosophical differences regarding issues such as generalizability, epistemology, and authentic representation of the phenomena under research. More recently, however, considerable focus has shifted to discussion on how mixed methods research can be performed and used effectively. Generally speaking, mixed methods can be conceptualized as the use or blending of research methods from both quantitative and qualitative traditions. There exists considerable complexity in how these methods may be used together. Nevertheless, increasing numbers of researchers are embracing the concept of mixed methods, and published articles using mixed methods are more common than they once were. Given the ongoing development of mixed methods research, the purpose of this paper is to provide a succinct summary of the most prominent mixed methods research paradigms. Papers such as this one are needed to communicate current status of the field in a concise manner for applied researchers.