| |
Qualitative Research |
Quantitative Research |
| Nature / Purpose |
a research method that generates an understanding of the social world; the purpose is to explore and discover ideas |
a research method that generates and analyzes numerical data; the purpose it to examine the cause and effect relationship between variables |
| Approach |
subjective, process-oriented |
objective, outcome-oriented |
| Hypotheses |
tentative and evolving; generated |
stated up-front; specific and tested |
| Research Setting |
a controlled environment is not as important |
a controlled environment is very important |
| Sampling |
often small, may not be representative (purposive) |
often large, desire that they are representative of a population (random) |
| Design & Method |
flexible, descriptive |
structured, calculates |
| Data |
words (verbal), pictures, objects |
numbers (measurable)
|
| Methods for Collecting Data |
non-structured techniques: interviews, diaries, observation (people, documents, artifacts), focus groups, field notes, open-ended survey questions,
|
structured techniques: observations, questionnaires, surveys |
| Data Analysis |
user observations |
use numbers & statistics |
| Data Interpretation |
conclusions are tentative |
conclusions are stated with a degree of certainty |
| Results |
develops an initial understanding |
recommends a final course of action |
This chart is based on the following sources: Qualitative vs. Quantitative (Diffen), Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research (Key Differences).
Additional Sources:
What is Qualitative Research? from the University of Utah, College of Nursing
- This article also highlights differences between qualitative and quantitative research.
Methods from Duke University Libraries
- This chart outlines various methods for qualitative research and outline both advantages and challenges of using each.
Basic Research Methods: An Entry to Social Science Research (2010) Guthrie
- This ebook includes chapters on data collection methods and both qualitative and quantitative research
