Gathering Research Data

Qualitative research is flexible written form their results are ongoing and their conclusion can be changed while quantitative research is numerical, reliable, specific, data are collected by statistical analysis due to which quantitative are more accurate. Qualitative research uses open questions to find the depth of the information while quantitative research uses closed question, secondary data or experiments due to this it lacks the depth of the information and neglect the effect of the individuals which could be service provider, service users or other staff members.

According to Yin (2003), there are two types of research approach. This includes quantitative research approach and qualitative research approach. A quantitative research emphasizes on transforming the data to numbers, quantities and statistics to formulate facts and to uncover patterns in a research. It addresses research purposes through empirical analysis that involve numerical measurement, the relationship between variables and analysis approaches (Zikmund et al., 2010). The sample size being investigated is typically large (Anderson, 2006). Quantitative research mainly uses questionnaires, surveys and other equipment to collect numerical or measurable data (Anderson, 2006). On the other hand, a qualitative research typically emphasizes words more than numbers

There are very few careers with as high demands for an ethical standard as law enforcement. Although there are many careers, which require a dedication to doing the right thing, it is undeniable that there is a tremendous degree of responsibility and expectations placed on the police officer. While most professions allow for careful thought and planning, a police officer is often thrust into a situation with little advanced intelligence about what is occurring. Often an officer is involved in a situation which has the potential to turn violent. Relying on training allows the officer to successfully navigate a variety of situations.

Quantitative and qualitative methods differ from one another as to their research design elements as listed below:

The fourth value enumerated in the Oregon State Police Officers Association’s mission is “to foster and maintain, among members of the Association, the highest standards of professionalism and devotion to duty.” A devotion to duty has become more to me than actively perform one’s responsibilities. What I believe has molded me into the young man that I am today is that I have set a precedent of service in my life so great that I want my entire to be devoted to it. Service has become the act that benefits and advances all people with the talents that I have been granted and in the ways I am trained to do, and I am in the process of dedicating my life to this continual form of duty.

Law enforcement officers are constantly bombarded with different types of situations that they need to make split second decisions on. Their decisions in any given situation can fall under scrutiny from the citizens, the news media, and even the courts. This makes the jobs of all law enforcement personnel extremely complex. Policing is a difficult and challenging occupation. A law enforcement officers’ duties are plenty, but the main focus is protecting people and property. To do this, they patrol specific areas assigned, respond to calls for service, enforce laws according to their state, make arrests, issue citations, conduct traffic stops, and appear in court to testify. Law enforcement officers do this knowing full well that their actions,

Quantitative research deals with numbers and is measurable. Some examples of quantitative data are cost, number of participants and time. This type of research is systematic and uses the more traditional scientific method of data collection and presentation. Qualitative research has data that is nonnumeric in nature and it is difficult to measure. As the root of the same suggests, it gives a quality description of the data being viewed. It can include descriptions or verbal responses. Qualitative data is subjective in the sense that the answer can be different amongst various people.

A qualitative study addresses the complexity of human experience, focusing on the big picture (Rebar & Gersch, 2015); while a quantitative study breaks a problem down into small pieces and focuses on specific parts to see how they all relate (Rebar & Gersch, 2015). Qualitative methods focus on subjective information, and never try to predict or control the phenomenon of interest (Rebar & Gersch, 2015); on the other hand, quantitative methods focus on statistics and objective information, and can yield predictions and control (Rebar & Gersch, 2015).

Law enforcement officers face a plethora of dangerous situations day in and day out and make split second decisions with little to no advice. They must exercise due diligence and good judgment when enforcing the law. They face dangerous subjects and conditions that are never the same no matter how routine citizens may think a particular event or call may be. The environment in which law enforcement officers are compelled to work in is tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. While

Qualitative research uses data obtained through methods such face- to- face interviews, observations, and focus groups. Data is analyzed by looking for trends and patterns. Quantitative research use numerical and statics to process the answer specific questions. Statistics used to support assessment of research. Analysis techniques are used to report are affected by the questions addressed and type of information that is expected in the research discoveries (Wakoff, 2007).

Qualitative research is mainly informal to participate in and the outcome changes with the individual’s opinions and feelings. It includes inductive methods, this could be from the participant feelings changing at a later date or their hypothesis could change over time. Qualitative research is normally conducted by words and is more to do with literature such as what and why something has happened; this research is a subjective feeling, personal to yourself and nobody else, and numerical data of numbers to back your research but what you believe what happened. In qualitative research, the types of methods used are generally; Interviews, observations and forums (online or present)

Research methodology generally involves qualitative research or quantitative research, or a mixture of both. A quantitative research methodology involves the analysis of data collected from a large number of surveys or interviews. On the other hand, methodologies for qualitative research often involve using surveys or interviews to collect information about people — their attitudes, experiences and behaviors.

Methods of quantitative research includes surveys and data, which is then presented as statistics. It is then collected by a big group such as the Census. The downfalls of quantitative methods of research include being that it offers less depth in information as they generally place emphasis on a much larger number of cases. The outcomes of quantitative research are more often than not, used to present findings to a wide or whole population (Punch, 1998). Qualitative methods of research is essentially gathering information and data, by creating focus groups, and conducting field research and intensive reviews.

General speaking, quantitative research is thought to be objective, however qualitative research often involves a subjective element. There are differences designs in qualitative research in comparison to quantitative research. Qualitative research involves words, pictures, or objects; Quantitative involves data in the form of numbers and statistics.

There are also some differences between these study designs, which may cause some problems for the inexperienced researcher. “Quantitative research is objective; qualitative research is subjective. Quantitative research seeks explanatory laws; qualitative research aims at