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Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research approaches
Strengths of qualitative research method
Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research approaches
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Qualitative Research for Instructional Technology
Background:
A trend of the past several years has been the growing use of qualitative research for educational research. Qualitative research, broadly defined, means "any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. Where quantitative researchers seek causal determination, prediction, and generalization of findings, qualitative researchers seek instead illumination, understanding, and extrapolation to similar situations. Qualitative analysis results in a different type of knowledge than does quantitative inquiry. " (Hoepfl, 1997, p.13). "During the past several decades, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, naturalistic inquiry (or qualitative research) has gained considerable acceptance. Nevertheless, the debate between quantitative and qualitative methodologies, as competing positions, persists. It is important to recognize the limitations of viewing quantitative and qualitative methods as completely different or competing approaches" (Custer, 1996, p. 4). What exactly are the basic differences between the two forms of research? Hoepfl (1997) explains it by saying that "phenomenological inquiry, or qualitative research, uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in context-specific settings. Logical positivism, or quantitative research, uses experimental methods and quantitative measures to test hypothetical generalizations (p. 14)". Custer (1996) also points out that "the qualitative-quantitative dichotomy dates back as early as the 17th century where quantitativists were characterized by some as ‘vulgar statisticians’".
Basic Features:
The following list...
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...." The decision to use qualitative methodologies should be considered carefully, though. "By its very nature, qualitative research can be emotionally taxing and extraordinarily time consuming. At the same time, it can yield rich information not obtainable through statistical sampling techniques" (Hoepfl, 1997, p. 37).
References
Custer, R. L. (1996). Qualitative research methodologies. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 34, 3-6.
Hoepfl, M.C. (1997, Fall). Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology, 9, 12-39.
Johnson, S. D. (1995, Spring). Will our research hold up under scrutiny? Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 32, 3-6.
Sutton, B. (1993). The rationale for qualitative research: A review of principles and theoretical foundations. Library Quarterly, 63, 411-430.
Patton, T. O. (2006). Hey girl, am I more than my hair?: African american women and their
There are two types of research that can be conducted in research studies, these are qualitative and quantitative (Newman, 2011). Qualitative research is a process that uses detailed oriented methodology that tries to achieve a profound knowledge or understanding of specific incident and circumstance, wh...
... to Black History. Online. Internet. Accessed 25 March 1997. Available World Wide Web: http://www.blackhistory.eb.com/cgi-bin/switcher.
Johnson, Lakesia D. Iconic: Decoding Images of the Revolutionary Black. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2012. Print.
Crenshaw, Kimberle Crenshaw. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Policies.” Critical Race Feminism: A Reader. 2nd ed. Adrien Katherine Wing. New York, New York University Press, 2003. 23-31. Print.
As indicated, research requires a process in order to collect data and analyze the data to come to a correct conclusion. Quantitative research is different from the qualitative research as researched above. Quantitative research focuses on amounts or quantities of one or multiple variables (Leedy, & Ormrod, 2010). To further explain, Fischler (2010) states, “a type of educational research in which the researcher decides what to study; asks specific, narrow questions; collects quantifiable data from participants; analyzes these numbers using statistics; and conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner” (p. 12). In order to utilize this philosophy, the problem needs to be clearly identified, data needs to be collected and analyzed in order to come to a solid evaluation or conclusion.
There are debates on why qualitative and quantitative can be combined because the two approaches share the goal of understanding the world in which we live Haase & Myers (1980). However, Reichath &Rallis (1994) argued that the two paradigms are incompatible if the qualitative paradigm assumes that there are no external referents for understanding reality. Howe (1988) suggests that researchers should forge ahead with what works. Quantitative research makes no attempt to have personal relationship with the people being studied and to account of their view. The accounts include feelings, beliefs these being concept of feminist work. Feminism holds on to qualitative method because are interested in how ordinary people observe and describe their Silverman (1993).
What is a black woman's position in this world? Where exactly do they belong? These questions pose as a response to the racism and sexism, that black women endure that ultimately impacts their lives. During the 60’s and 70’s, black women often found themselves lost, not having a exact position in which they belong to. There was the civil rights movement along with the feminist movement, but where exactly did women of color fit in? They played a pivotal role in the movement, but received little recognition in return, more importantly they were seen as invisible. What claimed to be the “feminist” movement, fighting for the equality of women, proved itself to be fighting only for the equality of white upper-class women, and forgetting about the oppression of black women.
The parent-child relationship is crucial for both parties. Daycare centers are believed to often interfere with this vital relationship. I have chosen to explore the effects of daycare on the parent-child relationship. I have done this, in part, because I see this relationship on a frequent basis due to my employment at a daycare center. This topic is anthropologically interesting because the primary care givers of children are now often professional centers rather than family. When in the past, the child rearing was done by the child’s parents or close family. This new dimension of childhood care adds an interesting element to familial bonds and their strength, or lack of. Professional daycare centers are also a very debated and researched topic. Throughout the research, positives and negatives have been found in the topic of daycare centers, in particular the parent-child relationship. Generally, the effects of daycare are trumped by the effects of parenting. Will this still be the case with daycare centers gaining ground by, beginning available in some places 24 hours?
On the other hand, Shank (2002) defines qualitative research as a form of systematic empirical inquiry into meaning. By systematic he means, planned, ordered, and public, following rules, agreed upon by members of the qualitative research community. By empirical, he means that thi...
Qualitative research is one in which the researcher searchers for qualities in which cannot be reduced to values displayed numerically, with the aims of examining a multiplicity of nuances and complexities of a particular phenomenon under study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2013). Within this approach of qualitative research methodology, there are several observational methods of which can serve as both meaningful and beneficial towards any research study.
The media has adopted this mode of programming making it possible to manipulate the viewer’s center of interest by blurring some regions and emphasizing others, as they deem appropriate. For instance, during the last presidential election, media critics were up in arms criticizing subjective campaign coverage. During public debates between presidential candidates, the media gave more emphasis on President O...
Conventional medicine often visualizes the disease by itself and concentrates focuses more on a quicker fix than on different approaches. Alternative medicine can make a distinction with the body and its environment as a holistic system; a disease materializes in case of an imbalance between’s all of the body’s functions. Conventional medicine is hardly as efficient for treating critical situations, but less suitable for managing chronic diseases. Alternative medicine hinder fast results, but they are usually more stable and longer lasting, as it oftentimes is an individual’s life style. Alternative medicine relies mostly on natural elements and ancient techniques from other nations, whereas conventional medicine prefers chemical and scientifically approved methods of diagnoses and treatments by the Food and Drug Administration.
Stejskal, S.M. (2010) Quatiative and Qualitative Research Methods are not and should not be Mutually Exclusive, Grinn Verlag.
Another characteristic of qualitative research is that it is personal and contains very little scientific terminology. For example, the researchers seek to understand human issues and problems or why humans behave in a certain manner. This type of empathetic approach in a quantitative research is a very unique in characteristic. Also, in a qualitative research, researches interact with the participants or sample, this is very important because they need to observe their behavior. As a result, it causes the research to be more up close and personal. This type of approach is what makes a qualitative research unique or different from quantitative research. (Smith &...