" (Hernandez & Lopez 2005; 38) This set of general descriptors which may not necessarily apply universally, nonetheless helps to warrant the theory driving the research. Such is to say that this contributes to the argument that "retention is a complex and multidimensional issue [that] cannot be quickly or easily understood" and continues to suggest that "personal, involvement, environmental, and socio-cultural influences" all devise the experience of Latinos in America's schools. It suggests that intervention must consider a broad array causes extending from American society as a whole in order to improve graduation rates.

This theory is decidedly unempirical because the study by Hernandez & Lopez is largely preoccupied with descriptive imperatives for its study. The frame of the study is non-experimental, with an examination instead qualitative elaboration on the various features of the Latino experience that are likely to have had an impact on their retention rates in the United States.

The use of Mixed Methods as a way of approaching a research subject indicates an interest in retaining flexibility of research methods. Often, these methods are not predetermined but are driven by the lens selected for research investigation. In the case of a study by Torres (2006) which continues our examination on the subject of Latino retention rates in American universities, the lens is a racial one. The interest in understanding the experience of Hispanics as a function of their race...

As a result, the study compare the experiences of Hispanic students in two Hispanic institutions and those of Hispanic students in a predominantly white context. The interest in contextualizing students according to these racial distinctions is a demonstration of the way that the lens selected by research functions as a determinant in the research design.
Works Cited:

Cozby. (2009). Studying Behavior. .

Creswell (2009). The Use of Theory. .

Hernandez, J.C. & Lopez, M.A. (2005). Leaking Pipeline: Issues Impacting Latino/A College Student Retention. J. College Student Retention, 6(1), 37-60.

Torres, V. (2006) A Mixed Method Study Testing Data-Model Fit of a Retention Model for Latino/a Students at Urban Universities. J. College Student Development, 47(3), 299-317.