Quantitative And Qualitative Research Methods Essay

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

This paper primarily concerns qualitative research, but we were asked to compare both qualitative and quantitative methods. During comparison, there are many noted differences in both study designs, but not many similarities. Qualitative research uses a subjective approach with a large sample population. It collects non-statistical data, using an unstructured or semi-structured technique (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2018). Quantitative research uses an objective approach and large, random, sampling to ask opinions in a structured way. The findings of quantitative studies are conclusive and used to recommend a final course of action (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2018). While it is hard to see similarities between the two, both methods aim to find a solution to a problem or question, the researcher doing the study may affect the outcome and an analysis of the collected data must be done (Souza, 2017). What many don’t realize is the connection amongst the two. You can say, both types of research build upon one another, meaning quantitative studies can quantify results found in qualitative research (Souza, 2017).

By contrast, the main purpose corresponded with qualitative research is to make understanding with regard to participants. Moreover, qualitative research has many different ways of collecting information, but the best ways of qualitative research is to approach the sources of information, it is due to make the deeper understanding of the issues (Easterby-Smith et al, 2002; Wood et al., 2010, p. 59). In addition, quantitative and qualitative both were also many researchers debated. For example, quantitative research is mostly experimental and qualitative research is mainly non-experimental (Leeds-Hurwitz, 1995, p.50), (see table 5). While, various researchers also combined two methods for researching, which was called that “mixed-methods”. Creswell, (2003) have stated

Qualitative research depicts the attributes and characteristics of something. In Qualitative research, the portrayal is not decreased into numbers just like the case in quantitative research. In any case, this can later be accomplished through encoding process. Qualitative research furnishes the scientist with data about

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,

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

It is common for researchers to compare qualitative and quantitative research methods. Quantitative methods originate from positivist and post- positivist research paradigms. Also, the methods objectively examine statistical data to determine cause and affect and often use generalizable data. There are various methods used in quantitative research such as surveys,

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).

In this paper, I will define quantitative and qualitative research methods and provide examples in the context of social issues which will hopefully provide insight into how this methods are properly applied.

One of the ways to gain knowledge is by carrying out some research. As what Zacharia (2012) stated that in daily life most people conduct research to gain knowledge. A research can be carried out qualitatively or quantitatively depends on the research purposes and needs and the type of information the researcher is seeking.

There are many differences between quantitative and qualitative research. Such things like: quantitative research provides only variables that can predict specific results but it does not tell us very much about how the variables affect an individual’s life course. Qualitative research adversely provides an enriched understanding of characteristics, qualities, attributes, and environmental factors affecting life events. Qualitative analysis can give understanding to the meaning of a specific characteristic, entity, or phenomenon within a context, instead of only measuring how much is present.

Qualitative research explains, describes and characterizes the subject of investigation by focusing on words rather than numbers. It mainly collects the non-numerical data to describe a problem and helps to create ideas for further research. In qualitative research, data are collected through focus groups, interviews, direct observation or evaluation of archival material such as newspapers. Qualitative research has a qualitative dimension and relies on the background and context to analyze data. In this study, researchers are interested in understanding the meaning people have constructed, that is, how people make sense of their world and the experiences they have in the world. Though a qualitative research, a wide array of dimensions of the social world can be explored, including the texture and weave of everyday life, the understandings, experiences and imaginings, or our research participants, the ways that social processes, institutions, discourses or relationships work, and the significance of the meanings that they generate. Qualitative research involves an explanatory, naturalistic approach to the world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people brings to them (Pennsylvania State University, 2016).

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

The qualitative and quantitative approaches are two main methods in research. Qualitative research is mainly based on description rather than on measurement, whereas quantitative research is mostly based on measurement rather than description. Qualitative research is a method that usually gives emphasis to words rather than quantification in the collection and analysis of data. “As a research strategy it is broadly inductivist, constructionist and interpretivist, but qualitative researchers do not always subscribe to all three of these features.” (Bryman, A 2012) p380