When collecting and analyzing data, quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings. Both are important for gaining different kinds of knowledge. Show
Common quantitative methods include experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with closed-ended questions. Qualitative researchQualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. This type of research enables you to gather in-depth insights on topics that are not well understood.Common qualitative methods include interviews with open-ended questions, observations described in words, and literature reviews that explore concepts and theories. The differences between quantitative and qualitative researchQuantitative and qualitative research use different research methods to collect and analyze data, and they allow you to answer different kinds of research questions.
Data collection methodsQuantitative and qualitative data can be collected using various methods. It is important to use a data collection method that will help answer your research question(s). Many data collection methods can be either qualitative or quantitative. For example, in surveys, observations or case studies, your data can be represented as numbers (e.g. using rating scales or counting frequencies) or as words (e.g. with open-ended questions or descriptions of what you observe). However, some methods are more commonly used in one type or the other. Quantitative data collection methods
Qualitative data collection methods
When to use qualitative vs. quantitative researchA rule of thumb for deciding whether to use qualitative or quantitative data is:
For most research topics you can choose a qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods approach. Which type you choose depends on, among other things, whether you’re taking an inductive vs. deductive research approach; your research question(s); whether you’re doing experimental, correlational, or descriptive research; and practical considerations such as time, money, availability of data, and access to respondents. Research questionHow satisfied are students with their studies?Quantitative research approachYou survey 300 students at your university and ask them questions such as: “on a scale from 1-5, how satisfied are your with your professors?” You can perform statistical analysis on the data and draw conclusions such as: “on average students rated their professors 4.4”. Qualitative research approachYou conduct in-depth interviews with 15 students and ask them open-ended questions such as: “How satisfied are you with your studies?”, “What is the most positive aspect of your study program?” and “What can be done to improve the study program?” Based on the answers you get you can ask follow-up questions to clarify things. You transcribe all interviews using transcription software and try to find commonalities and patterns. Mixed methods approachYou conduct interviews to find out how satisfied students are with their studies. Through open-ended questions you learn things you never thought about before and gain new insights. Later, you use a survey to test these insights on a larger scale. It’s also possible to start with a survey to find out the overall trends, followed by interviews to better understand the reasons behind the trends. How to analyze qualitative and quantitative dataQualitative or quantitative data by itself can’t prove or demonstrate anything, but has to be analyzed to show its meaning in relation to the research questions. The method of analysis differs for each type of data. Analyzing quantitative dataQuantitative data is based on numbers. Simple math or more advanced statistical analysis is used to discover commonalities or patterns in the data. The results are often reported in graphs and tables. Applications such as Excel, SPSS, or R can be used to calculate things like: Analyzing qualitative dataQualitative data is more difficult to analyze than quantitative data. It consists of text, images or videos instead of numbers. Some common approaches to analyzing qualitative data include: Frequently asked questions about qualitative and quantitative researchWhat is data collection?
Data collection is the systematic process by which observations or measurements are gathered in research. It is used in many different contexts by academics, governments, businesses, and other organizations.
What are the main types of qualitative approaches to research? While there are many different investigations that can be done, a study with a qualitative approach generally can be described with the characteristics of one of the following three types: Historical research describes past events, problems, issues and facts. Data are gathered from written or oral descriptions of past events, artifacts, etc. It describes “what was” in an attempt to recreate the past. It is different from a report in that it involves interpretation of events and its influence on the present. It answers the question: “What was the situation?” Examples of Historical Research:
Ethnographic research develops in-depth analytical descriptions of current systems, processes, and phenomena and/or understandings of the shared beliefs and practices of a particular group or culture. This type of design collects extensive narrative data (non-numerical data) based on many variables over an extended period of time in a natural setting within a specific context. The background, development, current conditions, and environmental interaction of one or more individuals, groups, communities, businesses or institutions is observed, recorded, and analyzed for patterns in relation to internal and external influences. It is a complete description of present phenomena. One specific form of ethnographic research is called a case study. It is a detailed examination of a single group, individual, situation, or site. A meta-analysis is another specific form. It is a statistical method which accumulates experimental and correlational results across independent studies. It is an analysis of analyses. Examples of Ethnographic Research:
Narrative research focuses on studying a single person and gathering data through the collection of stories that are used to construct a narrative about the individual’s experience and the meanings he/she attributes to them. Examples of Narrative Research:
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