Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods Assignment Help
Introduction:
Approaches undertaken for research differ both in methodology and theory. Two of the widely recognized general research approaches are quantitative research and qualitative research. Recently, extensive debate has been underway among the researchers regarding merits and demerits of qualitative and quantitative methods for research. Many researchers believe that both methods present an entirely different context to the way research should be carried out and therefore, should be used separately. Others opine that both methods can be mixed to be used simultaneously for case studies and researchers. The “best of both worlds approaches” presented by Brown suggests that a happy mix of both qualitative and quantitative methods should be employed for research work (Brown, 2005). However, Hughes argues that such techniques of mixing both methods together undervalue the notion of legality linked to the selection of methods (Hughes, 1997). More so, most of the experts believe that quantitative methods are more objective and scientific as compared to qualitative methods. This paper incorporates the impact, importance and value of both methods as well as a comparative analysis.
Many people believe that scientific research strictly employs the use of various laboratory experimentation methods. However, it is not the case. An assortment of methods can be employed to accomplish desired testing and systematic observation for a research project. Strict laboratory experimentation methods are neither desirable nor feasible for a research project. A research project is almost always initiated with decisions regarding the topic selection and methodologies to be employed. These decisions reveal the statements regarding social world, the problems being faced, possible solution for these problems and the “proof” criteria. Both theory and research are used to accomplish the research. It is important to be able to identify and understand the research approach underlying any given study because the selection of a research approach influences the questions asked, the methods chosen, the statistical analyses used, the inferences made, and the ultimate goal of the research. When critically reviewing scientific research, the questions asked, and the answers given, will differ depending upon whether the research is quantitative or qualitative.
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What is qualitative research?
The methodology of qualitative research is used to collect numerical data, which can be categorized, put in order or ranks or measured by using standard measurement units (Johnson & Christensen, 2010). The data gathered through qualitative research is necessary for constructing graphs and for tabular representation. Typically, experiments are used to collect quantitative data as they are related to measuring things. However, other data collection techniques can generate both qualitative and quantitative data. For example, questionnaires with closed questions (the ones requiring “yes” or “no” as an answer) and rating scales would generate numerical or quantitative data. On the other hand, questionnaires with open-ended questions would produce information categorized as qualitative as it is more descriptive in nature than the numerical format.
What is quantitative research?
In case quantitative methodology of research is being pursued, a large number of participants are involved with predetermined options (Cottrell & McKenzie, 2010). By definition, this particular methodology should yield objective and measurable results comprising of quantitative and statistically applicable data. In case a sample size is required to be determined, statisticians use statistical tools to determine same in order to accomplish results with reasonable accuracy. Generally, confidence interval of 95% is the benchmark for researchers when determining the sample size (Offredy & Vickers, 2010). This implies that such a sample size is chosen that will yield the same result 95 times out of 100 surveys with an error margin of 5%, although many surveys are done with an error tolerance of much less than 5%. Examples of such quantitative surveys include study, which calculates the percentage composition of elements in earth’s atmosphere. Study which determines the average time a patient has to wait for seeing a doctor and research in which patients are divided into groups and given different medicine to study the effect of each on health of patients. Each of the surveys has situations and findings in a numerical form which make these researches quantitative in nature. Similarly, in financial studies, quantitative tools are utilized for research into stock exchange models and develop algorithm’s toe of investment options.
On the other hand, qualitative research is intended to gain in-depth understanding of a particular event or organization as contrary to surface information on the basis of sampled data. It is meant to exploit the specific order, pattern or structure within an organization, a group or number of participants. Qualitative research is also known as field research or ethnomethodology (Have, 2004). Through this research, data regarding human groups with regards to their social settings is acquired. This type of research does not manipulate variables or establish treatments. Neither does it impress the researchers’ opinion on participants. Rather, it helps the evolution of a meaningful result from the participants. Moreover, being more flexible in nature, qualitative research allows data collection methods and concepts to be adjusted with the progression of the research process. The aim of this research is to gain understanding on the subject through candid interviews, discussions, and truthful reporting. As a result of this methodology, a better understanding about the effect of the surroundings on the participants and its influence on their behavioral pattern is gained.
The primary data collection method in qualitative research is observation (Kumar, 2010). Through this method behavior of participants with respect to their surroundings is recorded. Observation is the collection and documentation of behaviors of participants in their surroundings and is useful for obtaining, otherwise inaccessible, in-depth information. This technique is used by sociologists, psychologists, program evaluators and anthropologists in their research projects. A data collecting tool, e.g. a questionnaire, may induce distortion between researcher and the participant. However, this distortion is reduced by direct observation. Moreover, observation takes place in an uncontrolled environment and gathers data regarding from most inarticulate or unwilling subjects, e.g. children. For example, Baker observed school kids playing during recess timings for 30 to 40 minutes every day for one year for his research (Rueda, 2012). A large amount of qualitative data comes from talking with people, whether in form of casual conversations or interviews. To gather maximum benefit out of this form of data-gathering technique, confidence of an interviewee is required to be won through unstructured interviews, without the use of leading questions. Care must be taken to select a suitable interview place with right type of setting and manner in which researcher approaches the participants and emphasis of a researcher should remain on active listening. Another important tool to gather qualitative data is the focus group where participants are asked regarding their opinions about a product, service, idea, etc. Candid opinions are formulated through this method as participants are allowed to interact with other group members. For example, in Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study (CAHPS) interviews and focus groups were both used to generate basic item sets, which would be general in nature among the CAHPS instrument family (Sofaer, 2012).
Another method of qualitative data collection is sampling, which is used to generalize a finding on a particular area, age group or population (Bamberger, 2000). An appropriate criterion is necessary to be defined for the sample to gain accurate results.
