Taking the “Q” out of research 2.0: from methodological pluralism to an analytic theory of integration within a critical dialectical pluralist framework

Abstract Two decades ago, Onwuegbuzie and Leech (2005, p. 267) issued a call for researchers to “tak[e] the ‘Q’ out of research” by removing the quantitative–qualitative divide—or, more simply, the Q divide. In so doing, they challenged the utility of these labels and advanced more integrative perspectives. Subsequent contributions have emphasized multidimensionality, congruence, and full integration—including the 1 + 1 = 1 integration approach —while other scholars similarly have questioned the relevance of qualitative and quantitative distinctions. However, despite this convergence, integration remains largely conceptual and design-bound, lacking a formal analytic theory. Drawing on Critical Dialectical Pluralism (CDP) 2.0 as a meta-transformative and multidimensional metaparadigm and metaphilosophy, this article introduces representational–recursive analysis as a formal analytic infrastructure that models integration as recursive transformation across representations. Thus, this article advances an analytic theory of integration that operationalizes and extends prior efforts to transcend this Q divide.