Discuss The Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research... [PDF]

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Title: Discuss the differences between Qualitative and Quantitative research

Research plays a very important role in making sense of the world around us and developing knowledge basis and systems. As such, understanding research methods and paradigms is very important to scholars and researchers if they are to come up with credible and comprehensive research. This paper discusses the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods and also looks at how the two methods can be similar and how they can be used together. Qualitative research is a scientific and systematic method used to gather data that it not quantifiable (Yin 2018). This type of research, as Marshall (2016)) explains, “refers to the meanings, concepts definitions, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and description of things”. Therefore, as a research method, qualitative research is also used to unearth new trends in thought processes and actions, how people feel about specific circumstances and to get to the heart of issues and how they affect people (Wolcott 2016). Marshall (2016) emphasizes that qualitative research is primarily exploratory research and is used to obtain information such as intentions and motives that helps explain an occurrence. Thus, qualitative research methods help to understand new occurrences or trends and then helps to explain why such things are happening or occurring.

Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into useable statistics (Lichtman 2017). According to Wolcott (2016) quantitative research is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables and generalize results from a larger sample population. Thus, quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research to make sense or deductions on how things have unfolded. Therefore, where qualitative data seeks to understand a phenomenon, quantitative methods seek to quantify them and identify variables that can be measured.

Qualitative research uses data collecting methods that often require the direct participation of the researcher to gather data and information crucial to the study. Morgan (2017) notes that qualitative research collects data through participant observation, focus group discussions and semi structured

interviews, amongst others, and these require direct involvement of the researcher. This makes qualitative research also dependent on the skills of the researcher to ask the right questions and also to internalize correctly the thoughts and views of the participants. This makes it heavily dependent on the researcher themselves and how they relate or understand the participants. As Morgan (2017) suggests, biased caused by researcher’s views or internalization of the matter under study is a challenge in qualitative research. This has the effect of making qualitative research methods subjective in nature.

Quantitative research methods, on the other hand, use data collecting instruments which are primarily concerned with measuring things so that they can be quantified in numbers and percentages (Hammersley 2016). The researcher, as Winter (2017) noted, is not involved in how things are the way they are or what caused them to be the way they are but is concerned with collating data to present trends and statistics on the subject of interest. Quantitate data, therefore, only seeks to present the effects of occurrences in terms of numbers and percentages that can be made sense of. Thus, quantitative data is often reliable and very objective as it does not allow for personal interpretation of data (Hammersley 2016).

Another significant difference between qualitative research and quantitative research can be found in their general research populations and samples that are used to conduct the research. Morgan (2017) notes that while qualitative research studies are more in-depth, they focus on smaller areas or smaller samples whilst quantitative research studies cover a broader range of samples to come up with valid numbers but they are not in depth in nature. Qualitative research cannot usually use large samples due to the nature of its data gathering techniques that require the researcher to be hands on in the process whereas quantitative techniques allow for the same researcher to gather and present large volumes of data. Qualitative research generally makes use of nonprobability sampling whereas quantitative research makes use of probability sampling. Winter (2017) notes that non probability sampling refers to sampling methods where some elements of a population have no chance of being selected and there is a deliberate bias in the selection purpose to suit specific characteristics that are of particular

interest to the researcher. For instance, if a study was being conducted to find out the effect of university education on spending habits then only those who have received university education will be selected under nonprobability sampling. A probability sample is one which gives each unit the same opportunity of being selected and the chances of that happening can be accurately determined. (Jick 2017). It works well with quantitative research that looks to make holistic conclusions by presenting facts that can be generalized.

Quantitative and qualitative research methods have many similarities and can be used together in research. Jick (2017) explains that mixed research methodology is the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods in the same study to obtain well rounded results. Mixed methodology is relatively new to research methods but emphasizes how the uses of both methods together or in tandem can improve research validity and reliability of research (Sekeran 2011). In a primary level mixed methods study a researcher collects qualitative and quantitative data directly from the research participants, for example through interviews, observations, and questionnaires, and combines these diverse data in a single study (Yin, 2018).

It is also important to note that quantitative research normally builds on qualitative findings so the two methods have always had a strong relationship (Jick, 2011). Qualitative research, being exploratory in nature, helps to uncover or unearth phenomena and then quantitative research helps to quantify and make sense of data. Thus, the two have a strong relationship that helps to obtain all round research outcomes. Wolcott (2016) notes that both qualitative and quantitative research are used to measure the results of data so though they use different methods they look to get similar outcomes. Lichtman (2016) suggests that whether you are focused on the numbers of quantitative research or the reasons for qualitative research, both processes require that the raw data be analyzed. How that happens depends on how the research is gathered.

In conclusion, qualitative research methods are concerned with thought, moods and feelings and seek to understand why things are the way they are. Qualitative research methods use tools that require the close participation of the researcher to understand the world around them. On the

contrary, quantitative research methods make use of figures and percentages to explain occurrences and come up with trends. However, mixed methodology can use both of them methods well to improve quality of research.

REFERENCES Hammersley, M. (2016). Some notes on the terms 'validity' and 'reliability. British Educational Research Journal, 13(1), 73-81. Jick T (2017) Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Triangulation in Action Administrative Science Quarterly Vol. 24, No. 4, Qualitative Methodology (Dec., 2017), pp. 602611 Lichtman, M. (2016). Qualitative research in education: A user’s guide (pp. 7-8). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Marshall N (2016); Sampling for qualitative research, Family Practice, Volume 13, Issue 6, 1 January 2016, Pages 522–526, https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/13.6.522 Morgan D (2017) Practical Strategies for Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Applications to Health Research Qualitative Health Research Vol 18, Issue 3, pp. 362 – 376; https://doi.org/10.1177/104973239800800307

Sekeran S (2015) Applied Business research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, Queensland. Wolcott, H (2016), Qualitative inquiry in education: The continuing debate (pp. 121- 152). New York: Teachers College Press.

Winter G (2017) A Comparative Discussion of the Notion of 'Validity' in Qualitative and Quantitative Research, The Qualitative Report, Volume 4, Numbers 3 & 4, March, 2017

Yin T (2018) "Robert Fairthorne and the empirical power laws", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 61 Issue: 2, pp.194-202, https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410510585188