Introduction Qualitative research as it is known today began during the period 1925-1934. As almost the antithesis of the more entrenched and accepted quantitative research, it has only been deemed acceptable and trustworthy in recent years. Qualitative research first gained respectability through the application of applied psychology in advertising and marketing, and is now almost universally accepted in academia. (Bailey, 2013) The questions before today’s researchers are how to apply qualitative research, and when to supplant it with either quantitative research or a mixture of the two. Purposes The first component of qualitative research is formulating the purpose of the study. In general, the focus of qualitative research is understanding …show more content…
Methods include the research relationship with the people studied, site selection and sampling decisions, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques. In qualitative research, the researcher is the primary determinant of both data collection and analysis (Lichtman, 2013). The researcher determines what data to gather and filters it through his or her perception of the situation according to his experience, background, and knowledge. Again, there is more than one way to conduct qualitative research. There are always several ways to interpret the data, so researchers should be open to alternative ways to structure data collection and analysis. Qualitative research is nonlinear and may use multiple starting points. A certain amount of ambiguity is often presence in a qualitative research study, so researchers must be flexible and open to fresh perspectives. The importance of methodology is that it can provide the researcher with a vision of where he or she wants to go with the research. The methods, on the other hand, give the researcher the means to turn that vision into …show more content…
Pure qualitative research uses the idea that there are multiple realities that may shift or evolve due to changes in events and situations. In one sense, qualitative researchers might, as Tanya R. Berry reported in “Qualitative researchers as modern day Sophists? Reflections on the qualitative-quantitative divide” (2011), say “there is no reality – just experience.” Thus, qualitative research studies may produce glimpses of the more slippery version of “truth” that quantitative research would never real. However, the more structured and disciplined constructs used by quantitative researchers may also be necessary to nail down the trends, opinions, and ideas revealed through qualitative
Described below is a critical appraisal of a qualitative article by Lisa Booth using the frame-work suggested by Ryan, Coughlan and Cronin 2007 to establish its believability, robustness, credibility and integrity (Ryan, Coughlan & Cronin, 2007).
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...
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...
“Quantitative study involves collecting data from relatively large samples, the data collected are usually presented as number, often in table, on graphs and on chart” (McGivern 2006: 57). Qualitative study is less easy to define. It explores questions such as what, why and how rather than how many and how much, it is primarily concerned with meaning rather than measuring (Keegan 2009: 11). This study is quantitative in nature.
Gelo, O., Braakmann, D., & Benetka, G. (2008). Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Beyond the Debate. Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, 42(3), 266-290. doi:10.1007/s12124-008-9078-3
Qualitative research is an approach that attempts to situate an activity that locates the observer in the world by providing the study to occur in their natural setting and by attempting to make sense of, or interpret information (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005). A characteristic of qualitative research is to use a variety of empirical materials such as personal experience, interviews, and questionnaires. It is imperative to understand the task at hand and how to fully carry out the study when using a qualitative research approach in order to find out the information needed. One view of qualitative research is it involves examining individual’s experiences and documenting those experiences in detail (Jones, 2011). By documenting these observations the researcher is ensuring validity in his or her data and giving the correct creditability to those who participated in the study.
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.
This essay intends to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the quantitative and qualitative approaches to research which addresses young people and bullying using two journal articles. The first article (quantitative) aims to “establish the relationship between recurrent peer victimisation and the onset of reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in the early teen years” (Bond et al. 2001, p. 480) while the second article (qualitative) aims to “investigate the nature of teenage girls’ indirect aggression” (Owens et al. 2000, p. 70).The two articles will be critically compared in terms of research design, methods used, approach to data analysis, reported results and the plausibility and appropriateness of the conclusions and recommendations posed. The aim of this essay is thus to evaluate and assess the methods of social science research currently undertaken in published research.
Qualitative research was designed as a way to be directly connected with the subjects researched. Participant researchers may choose to merely observe and collect data or to be an active participant. Covert participation has the advantage of reducing the “reactive effects” of the social setting or group (Bachman & Schutt, 2012). Most researchers who use the participation method of research will often strike a balance between participation and observation. Through participation, an observer may gain the trust of the research subjects which can provide more fruitful results. Some research may however be unethical or a violation of law. A good researcher should use prudence beforehand when crafting their research design.
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.
Stejskal, S.M. (2010) Quatiative and Qualitative Research Methods are not and should not be Mutually Exclusive, Grinn Verlag.
Qualitative and Quantitative study designs both can be beneficial in research design. They both provide valuable options for researchers in the field. These techniques can either be used separately in a research study or they can be combined to achieve maximum information. This paper will define the terms qualitative and quantitative; describe the similarities and differences between each; discuss how qualitative and/or quantitative research designs or techniques could be used in the evaluation of my proposed research; and discuss why linking analysis to study design is important.
It is important that researchers are knowledgeable of the qualitative research methodologies in order to select the most appropriate to investigate their problem of interest, and thereby selecting the most appropriate data collection methods that will aptly produce the richest data for analysis.
Qualitative data analysis is composed of document, observation, interviews, focus groups, and being able to discuss what is being found in each of the piece of data collected (Chenail, 2012). Qualitative data analysis can be viewed as understanding the analysis of data. For qualitative data to be successfully analyzed, the researcher must be able to maintain control of their study, be able analyze their study, analyze themselves, and be able to present this found data in various publications (Chenail, 2012).
The Importance and Appropriateness of Utilizing Different Methodologies for Research. Introduction The process of research entails the logical as well as systematic search for useful data and information with regard to a specific topic (Jha, 2008). It is also comprised of the investigation of the best, most cost effective and appropriate solutions to both social and scientific issues, following an objective and logical analysis. Jha, (2008) defines research as the search for knowledge and the discovery of the truth. During this process, the data can be gathered from a wide pool of sources among them interviews, books, nature among others.The data can then be analyzed with the appropriate data analysis tools, so as to report the findings