Assess graduate students' understanding of core principles and frameworks for integrating qualitative and quantitative methods in mixed-methods research design. Coverage includes identifying and comparing major design typologies (convergent, explanatory/exploratory sequential, embedded, transformative), principles for alignment (research questions, timing, weighting, sampling), integration strategies (merge, connect, embed; joint displays; data transformation), and quality/validity considerations (triangulation, credibility, dependability, meta-inference). Test tasks: select appropriate designs for given research questions, justify integration points and sequencing, and critique example study plans for coherence and rigor.