Qualitative And Mixed Methods

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

The researcher must set a clear hypothesis, showing the relationship between independent and dependent variables. In quantitative research tools are used to collect numerical data. The information can be gathered using questionnaires or some type of equipment. Quantitative data is efficient at testing a hypothesis, but can miss contextual detail. In quantitative research, the researcher is often objectively separated from the subject matter. One of the ways quantitative research is different from qualitative research is that quantitative research requires extraction of large amounts of statistical data. Qualitative research is focused in on personal viewpoints and opinions of a smaller number of subjects (typically). Qualitative research can take more time than quantitative research (McCusker & Gunaydin,

As Creswell (2002) has noted, quantitative research is the process of collecting, analysing, interpreting and writing the results of a study, while qualitative

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).

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).

The method of qualitative research become key method in the human and social science and also in the education and health science. The definition of qualitative research is a research using methods such as participant observation or case studies which result in a narrative, descriptive account of a setting or practice. Sociologists using these methods typically reject positivism and adopt a form of interpretive sociology (Parkinson & Drislane,2011). It involves the research using data that do not indicate ordinal values. Furthermore, qualitative research includes the different kinds of data collection, techniques of analysis and diversity of theoretical frameworks (Guest; Namey & Mitchell, 2013). According to Creswell(2013) ‘’the final written report or presentation includes the voices of participants, the reflexivity of the researcher, a complex description and interpretation of the problem, and its contribution to the literature or a call for change.

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.

Qualitative and quantitative research are methods used in Sociology to explain and describe data. However, these methods contrast in different important aspects.

Qualitative research is used to find out and understand the beliefs of individuals. Knowledge attitudes, behavior and interactions. It produces non- numerical data, e.g. How a patient describes pain instead of a measure of pain. In health care, qualitative techniques have been commonly used in health care in documenting the experiences of chronic illness and in studies about how an organization functions. Quantitative research provides statistical

Qualitative research method involves analysis on ‘quality’ of study object. Specifically, it adopts such approaches as induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, as well as abstraction and generalization to process all kinds of materials obtained in order to eliminate all but the essential, discard the false and retain the true and proceed from the exterior to the Interior, thus reveal the essence along with inherent law. Qualitative analysis is majorly about the problem

There are quantitative and qualitative methods in the realm of academic research seem to be the most relevant to the domains of professional study at Henley-Putnam University. These methods involve the collection of different types of data to help better understand the world around us. Quantitative research is associated with the hard sciences such as chemistry, engineering, and mathematics such as measuring items quantitatively can consist of observing the distance between planets as they revolve around the sun or recording the pressure within a closed container as heat is introduced to a particular liquid. In other words, quantitative methods allow for measuring one thing to compare against another known or unknown quantity to generate conclusions, sometime confirming hypotheses or creating new ones based on research outcomes. However, qualitative research is applied in the soft or social sciences, such as history, sociology and anthropology. According to Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), qualitative research seeks out the “why”, not the “how”, of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information. For instance, methodological discussions like how data is collected and analyzed. Qualitative research does not rely on statistics or numbers, which are the domain of quantitative researchers.

According to Kothari (2008) qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena which are related to or involve quality or kind. Qualitative research engages the collection and analysis of non-numerical data obtained from experiments, interviews, observations, and other resources involving statements and arguments. Research is conducted into particular context and non-numerical interpretive approach is used to produce narrative description of research data. Unlike quantitative research, this type of research considers the underlying facts behind the establishment of particular behaviors and assumptions. It is commonly used in behavioural sciences where the aim of research is to discover underlying motives of human behaviour.

Mixed methods approach was implemented deliberately to gain quantitative and qualitative data. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data maximizes the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of each type of data to ensure validity and reliability. The two forms of data collection were interviews and questionnaires. Mixed methods was chosen to gain better insight into the issue. This will help to compare, validate or triangulate results and in doing so may help to identify trends and outcomes, Plano Clark, (2010). Mixed methods research, is more than collecting qualitative data from interviews, or collecting multiple forms of qualitative evidence (e.g., observations and interviews) or multiple types of quantitative evidence (e.g.,