Research uses qualitative and quantitative methods to collect and analyze data. Both methods seek to comprehend a phenomenon, but their philosophical foundations, data collection methods, and analytical methods differ.
Interpretivist qualitative studies dig in the psychological life of people, and try to find out, comprehend and assess their subjective experiences, meanings and viewpoints (‘Creswell & Creswell’, 2018). The third approach is provided when the research problem involves detailed investigation of a complicated situations or fields which cannot be restricted to only numerical data.
Qualitative research can help to collect data that is detailed, layered and thoroughly embedded where needed. Interviews, observations, focus groups, and document review are the methods used in this context to collect data directly from study participants in their environment where they reside or engage in their community activities (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This brings forward people’s thinking patterns or the way they see things, what they do and what they think of what they experience. Quantitative research proceeds according to numbers and accounts, but qualitative research takes into consideration human complexity in the whole and tries to inspect events in their contexts.
Qualitative research is a ray of strong sunshine that limites their generalizability because of its context and the participants involved. Qualitative research encounters problems of: it is not possible to infer any causality by analyzing only small groups and it is allowed to use purposive sampling that is unreliable in generalization to the larger population (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Researchers should also practice as reflexive and transparent as they possibly can, in a research activity which is subjective, and can further induce bias in the data collection and analysis process.
Quantitative research design is based on positivism, which holds that reality is objective and quantifiable (Creswell & Creswell, 2018 This method is useful for hypothesis testing, variable relationships, and sample-to-population generalization.
For quantitative research, surveys, experiments, and systematic observations generate numbers (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Statistical analysis shows relationships, patterns, and trends. In quantitative research, researchers form hypotheses based on theories or previous research and then test them with data.
Quantitative research is objective, repeatable, and generalizable. Standardised data collection, probability sampling, and statistical analysis improve reliability and validity (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Quantitative research will give researchers the opportunity to exactly determine the facts by comparing individuals, places, and times and so on.
From time to time this qualitative research receives the same kind of criticism that it does not relaly reflect the true nature of the human beings and their activities. One shortcoming of having a research that is quantitative is that it might overlook contextual details, experience of the subjects, and the individual meaning. This was explained by Creswell & Cornell (2018). The quantitative approach rather than capturing procisions provide facts at specific temporal intervals the dynamic of people behavior may remain unconsidered.
Coincidentally, there is no inherent contradiction between qualitative and quantitative research. Mixed-methods research combines elements of both approaches to better understand the study problem (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). For a more full picture, mixed-methods research blends qualitative and quantitative data’s depth, generalizability, and statistical rigor.
The research topic, phenomena, and purpose determine research design. To test hypotheses, examine correlations between variables, and generalize to broader populations, quantitative research is superior than qualitative research, which explores complicated, context-dependent phenomena and subjective experiences.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
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