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Differences between quantitative and qualitative methods
Compare and contrast between qualitative and quantitative methods in research
Differences between quantitative and qualitative methods
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Qualitative and quantitative research are both methods that companies use to gather information to promote the overall welfare of their company. These types of research not only tell how well the company is doing, but they also locate areas in need of improvement. Qualitative research gathers information on opinions, reasons, and motivations. From evidence based upon modern society’s opinion, businesses get a better understanding of people's mindsets towards the company. Qualitative data shows certain trends of recurring problems and encourages the company to go more in depth of the situation. To detect this info, a group of people are surveyed and asked multiple questions based on certain things the company wants to learn. Quantitative research …show more content…
These trends tend to occur when surveyors say similar answers and patterns will be found through these findings. Conducting only one type of the research gives one solid info, however having both is better and almost essential to having a complete collection of data. Qualitative research is going to provide you with the details and reasonings behind a certain issue. The same applies to quantitative, however it will give you this reasoning in number form. The details and reasonings gathered from quantitative can only explain so much. Having the quantitative research to make statistics and have your research in numbers help put it all into perspective. Both work better together and correlate, because one finds details and explanations and the other proves it with solid …show more content…
Each of them have the same goal, but use a different path to find contrasting info in various ways. Doing qualitative research gets you reasonings and explanations of certain issues or improvements a company can do. People who are surveyed are telling their own opinions and ideas in their own words. Companies take this into consideration and use this info collected for future reference. Qualitative data is collected by doing interviews, focus groups, and observations. This data is usually recorded in person, to get a true and more accurate answer. For example, if the business has a drop in sales, they gather people to tell them why people are not buying the products. Quantitative data, however is collected by polls, questionnaires, and surveys. A majority of these methods are not done in person, but are done using online surveys. These surveyors will get numbers, like how many people liked a certain product or the average age of customers. For simple and efficient ways of getting information in numbers, using technology is the fastest and easiest way to do this. All the company needs, is to send out these online polls or surveys to a large group of people. Unlike qualitative data, quantitative data can give you a more general idea of data and a bigger amount of it as well. Qualitative data takes time to find out and can only use a small sample
Qualitative research aims to gather information from data collection methods and transform it into written words. Such as transcribing recorded interviews, taking field notes from observations, using words to outline images (Denscombe, 1998, p. 174). On the other hand, quantitative research aims to gather information from data collection methods and transform it into numbers. Such as analysing conducted surveys and pulling numbers to transform it into statistics, tables and graphs (Denscombe, 1998, p.174-177).
Research can be quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research is objective and involves measuring the phenomena under investigation. Qualitative research is subjective, explores experiences and feelings, and involves the recording of phenomena that cannot easily be quantified (Toates, 2010, pp. 5-6). Both are empirical since they involve data collection (OU, n.d.).
According to Merriam-Webster, research is defined as careful study done to report new knowledge on a topic. ("Research | Definition of research by merriam-webster," n.d.). Success in the field of Guidance and Counseling is dependent on accurate information. Counselors well versed in pertinent research make a strong impact on the clients. Counselors using research as a guide for intervention have a better understanding of the clients why and also the how to serve the client best.
According to Smith (1983) quantitative research is to explain, predict and develop laws that can be universally applied and Qualitative research is the interpretation and understanding of what people give to their situation. The researchers clearly stated the purpose of their studies, aim, objectiv...
The father of quantitative analysis, Rene Descartes, thought that in order to know and understand something, you have to measure it (Kover, 2008). Quantitative research has two main types of sampling used, probabilistic and purposive. Probabilistic sampling is when there is equal chance of anyone within the studied population to be included. Purposive sampling is used when some benchmarks are used to replace the discrepancy among errors. The primary collection of data is from tests or standardized questionnaires, structured interviews, and closed-ended observational protocols. The secondary means for data collection includes official documents. In this study, the data is analyzed to test one or more expressed hypotheses. Descriptive and inferential analyses are the two types of data analysis used and advance from descriptive to inferential. The next step in the process is data interpretation, and the goal is to give meaning to the results in regards to the hypothesis the theory was derived from. Data interpretation techniques used are generalization, theory-driven, and interpretation of theory (Gelo, Braakmann, Benetka, 2008). The discussion should bring together findings and put them into context of the framework, guiding the study (Black, Gray, Airasain, Hector, Hopkins, Nenty, Ouyang, n.d.). The discussion should include an interpretation of the results; descriptions of themes, trends, and relationships; meanings of the results, and the limitations of the study. In the conclusion, one wants to end the study by providing a synopsis and final comments. It should include a summary of findings, recommendations, and future research (Black, Gray, Airasain, Hector, Hopkins, Nenty, Ouyang, n.d.). Deductive reasoning is used in studies...
On the other hand, Quantitative research refers to “variance theory” where quantity describes the research in terms of statistical relationships between different variables (Maxwell, 2013). Quantitative research answers the questions “how much” or “how many?” Quantitative research is an objective, deductive process and is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables with generalized results from a larger sample population. Much more structured than qualitative research, quantitative data collection methods include various forms of surveys, personal interviews and telephone interviews, polls, and systematic observations. Methods can be considered “cookie cutter” with a predetermined starting point and a fixed sequence of
Quantitative research may be seen as the less contentious of the two because it is more closely aligned with what is viewed as the classical scientific paradigm. Quantitative research involves gathering data that is absolute, for example numerical data so that it can be examined as unbiased as possible. The main idea behind quantitative research is that it is able to separate things easily so that they can be counted. The researcher generally has a clear idea of what is being measured before they start measuring it, and their study is set up with controls. Qualitative research on the other hand is a more subjective form of research, in which the research allows themselves to introduce their own bias to help form a more complete picture. Qualitative research may be necessary in situations where it is unclear of what is exactly being looked for in a study, while quantitative research generally knows exactly what it is looking for. Questionnaires and surveys are quantitative socio-legal research, because it is the collection of numerical data, or data that can be easily being turned into a numerical form. In terms of analysing quantitative data, Excel is the b...
Quantitative research uses a deductive reasoning also known as top to bottom or (top down approach) starting with a theory, then the hypothesis, followed by observation and finally confirmation , going from the general to the more specific. Quantitative methods use numbers and statistics to show the results of the research exercise and mainly are concerned with mathematics and statistics. In quantitative research there are levels of measurement being firstly nominal which are names of things followed by ordinal sequence of things, interval where the sequence has equal distance between each item, and ratio where there is a true zero (Alston & Bowles, 2003, p. 7-9).
We believe it is clear that both qualitative and quantitative research have many benefits and many costs. In some situations the qualitative approach will be more appropriate; in other situations the quantitative approach will be more appropriate.
Qualitative studies are slightly different in that they do not use large cohorts and they are not analyzing large data sets. Qualitative studies also look to answer question “why”. They use smaller numbers but go more in-depth with the small group they have. “In contrast, qualitative research involves looking at characteristics, or qualities, that cannot easily be reduced to numerical values. A qualitative researcher typically aims to examine the many nuances and complexities of a particular phenomenon” (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 94). Qualitative and Quantitative studies can be used separately or together in a mixed methodology.
First we will begin my defining just what qualitative and quantitative data is. Qualitative data is data that can be observed, but not measured. It also deals with descriptions of variables: color, appearance, taste, etc. It is characterized by no numerical values. Quantitative data is data that can be measured. It deals with numbers: length, weight, time, etc. “While the goals of some data collection may be exclusively qualitative or quantitative, in many cases both are desirable (O’Rourke & O’Rourke, 2000).”
In conclusion, good marketing research should be qualitative because depth information results in efficient decision making of manager which influence to business plan and also market strategy. It is possible to approach to marketplace and get opportunity in that from adequate information which is interpreted and developed carefully. Moreover, the information that do not actually solve problem can generate to be new information that used as data for management making decision. Thus, qualitative research is necessary for management to take good opportunity in market.
Traditional research may use quantitative or qualitative research method. According to Hendricks (2009), quantitative research is a general conclusion based on hard data. Hen-dricks describe quantitativ...
In fact it depends really on the case and on the needed information, which research method would exhibit the better result. Beside of the choice between quantitative and qualitative method, the research questions influence the result enormously. In my experience, the challenge is to manage the research in a way that does not influence people and their answer. Moreover people do not consider their expectations since all feelings and meanings about products are sometimes
On the other hand, quantitative research allows you to test hypothesis derived from theories, associated with the issues being investigated. It is less flexible, as there are standardized procedures and techniques for collecting, organizing and analyzing the data (Kuada, 2012).