Essay on Qualitative Research Versus Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is done to find the accurate facts by evaluating the problems like opinion, behaviour by using numerical data. This research is based on theories, hypothesis, collecting, analysing the data to make the research accurate.

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

Quantitative research is a form of conclusive research involving large representative samples and fairly structured data collection procedures. A primary role of quantitative research is to test a hypothesis (Roberts, 2012).

There has probably been more energy spent on debating the difference, advantages and limitations between qualitative and quantitative research methods, it can be said that this issue has been debated to death with many spending years proving which methods is the best.

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.

The key distinctions between qualitative and quantitative data are qualitative data is subjective, ask What?, Why?, literature review may be done after study is complete, develops theory, focus is complex, facts are biased and values are involved, qualitative data is about discovery, describing, understanding, sharing results to who are concerned about the study. Basic with analysis is part of, the researcher conducting the study is part of the process, and participants are involved, reasoning is dialectic and inductive, describes the meaning of what was discovered in the study conducted, uses communication and observation, and strives for trends and theories easy to understand. Study conducted has a flexible approach in a natural setting, provides information worth counting (Anderson, 2006). Quantitative data provides objectives, ask questions how many?, literature review must be done early in the study, tests theory, focus is

Quantitative research involves collection of data using a survey technique from human participants. Major benefit of human participants is that a researcher will be able to collect valid and reliable

“Researchers who use quantitative research method seek objectivity through testable hypotheses and carefully designed studies, and gather date that can be reported in numbers and statistics” (Crawford, 2016, p. 66). According to Crawford (2016, p. 66) “conclusions from this study are drawn from statistics and generalized to populations of interest”. Unlike qualitative that helps to eliminate opinions and thoughts, quantitative quantify opinions and thoughts and they obtain results from a larger sampling population. As I had previously stated on my discussion board “Quantitative researcher’s collection methods include many different kinds of surveys for example; online surveys, paper surveys, online polls, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and etc”(myself). “They use the surveys to measure attitudes, behaviors, and opinions” (myself).

In the late 1970s, an 80 percent response rate was acceptable, but people taking the polls still feared over inaccurate results (Zukin). Now, that fell to about nine percent in 2012 (DeSilver and Keeter) and even to eight percent in 2014 (Zukin). Some of the causes for the low turnout include people being harder to contact, people wanting their opinions private, and that people think “surveys are burdens” (DeSilver and Keeter). People live busier lives, so they feel that taking a survey would take too much time and has no worth. Some may also think that the survey results would not change if they do not answer because many people would receive calls, so they do not answer. Lower turnout means that the results do not represent most of the population, so they become less accurate and lead to more false predictions (Zukin). Low response rate has been a problem for voting, and it also affects surveying

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 different ways in which researcher defines quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research is a social research that uses experimental methods, questionnaires, numerical data and explains observations usually in tables or charts from. Quantitative research can define the relationship between two or more studies.

Once it has been quantified it can be then used to compare and contrast with other people’s research and it may also be used in other ways like for example measuring change. These are all in favour of the usefulness of questionnaires and these suggest reasons why they should be used in sociological research.

Thicker description of what is being studied, and methods are designed to capture life as participants experience it rather than predetermined catagories created by the researcher.

The qualitative methodology of this research can be considered appropriate, as the researchers have explained about the participants subjective experiences throughout the article in different sections such as data collection and analysis, experience of healthcare and effects of the illness, experience of spiritual needs and variation over the course of the illness, spiritual help/support, developing spiritual support guidelines and services, conclusions and implications for the nurse managers.

Quantitative research involves collecting data, which can be expressed numerically. The design is well structured with pre-determined outcomes. It frequently involves testing a hypothesis, which then can be analysed from the data deductively using statistical methods. Using numerical data is easier to analysis mathematical, so larger sample sizes can be utilised compared to qualitative research, therefore giving a better representative of the population; along with simplifying the process of making a generalisation. Another advantage is that studies can easily compare to similar findings (Kruger, 2003). The disadvantages are the results are limited and might not provide a proper understanding of the topic. Also, statistics and leading questions can be used to give a false representation of the data when summarising.