Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative - Research Paper Example

Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research There are many key factors, which make qualitative research and quantitative research different from each other. Let us discuss some of those factors in relation with both qualitative and quantitative researches in order to get a better understanding of how both types of researches differ from each other. Approach of the Researches There is a huge difference between the approaches of the two forms of research. A qualitative form of research includes a detailed description of the research topic. The basic aim of a qualitative research is to provide an in-depth understanding of all issues related to the topic to the reader instead of just providing an overview or a general idea of the research. Qualitative form of research is more concerned with the social and behavioral aspects of the issues. “The qualitative approach also is ideal for looking at trends over time and at the influences of past experiences on present behavior” (Scott, 2011). Some of the main considerations of qualitative researches include investigation of the reasons behind any specific behavior or attitude of people, investigation of the differences between ethics and norms of different cultures and societies, investigation of experiences that shape any specific behavior, and investigation of the way people perceive behaviors of other individuals. If we talk about quantitative form of research, we can say that it focuses more on statistical analysis of data as compared to theoretical analysis of the research and provides numeric results related to the topic. “Quantitative research often focuses more on the data of the actual decisions” (Chesterfield, 2011). A quantitative research establishes the relationships between different variables related to the research topic whereas qualitative research focuses more on details of issue rather than relationships. “Quantitative research is all about quantifying relationships between variables” (Hopkins, 2008). In a quantitative form of research, the researchers identify the association and links between an independent and a dependent variable in order to determine how rise or fall in one variable affects other variable. A very important point regarding quantitative research is that it requires researcher to have an in-depth understanding of statistics and statistical models. Without a sufficient amount of knowledge of statistics, researchers find it very difficult to produce statistical results based on large-scale surveys. However, all researchers are not very proficient in using statistical models, so most of the researchers opt to do qualitative research instead of putting themselves into trouble because of the complexities related to extensive statistical analysis of data. Today, qualitative research is more in practice as compared to quantitative research not only because it is simple to do but also because it provides information about all issues related to the research topic. Relationship with the Research Topic Understanding of the research topic also creates a big difference between qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative researchers and quantitative researchers have different approach towards the research because of different levels of understanding of the topic. In a qualitative research, the researchers are not very much aware of the details related to the topic, which makes them interact personally with different people and organizations in order to gather required amount of information related to different aspects of the issue. “Qualitative research may be necessary in situations where it is unclear what exactly is being looked for in a study” (McGuigan, 2011). On the other hand, in a quantitative form of research, the researchers are usually independent of the research. They gather data about different variables involved in research and determine their level of dependency on each other based on a proper statistical analysis. Qualitative research is completely a fieldwork because a researcher cannot do qualitative research just by surfing the internet while sitting at home. A qualitative researcher has to go to different people not only to observe their actions and behaviors but also to know how they perceive the behaviors of other people. In a qualitative research, researchers make use of interviews, surveys, case studies, and focus group technique to explore attitudes and behaviors of people whereas in quantitative research, researchers make use of structured research instruments to examine opinions and beliefs of people. In qualitative research, researchers try to get a complete understanding of the research topic using direct observations, participant observations, focus groups, case studies, ethnographies, and surveys, whereas in quantitative research, researchers gather absolute data in order to generate numeric results based on statistical analysis of data. “Quantitative research involves gathering data that is absolute, such as numerical data, so that it can be examined in as unbiased a manner as possible” (McGuigan, 2011). Difference Based on Time and Efficiency One of the main differences between the qualitative and quantitative forms of researches is related to time, which researchers take to complete the researches. It is observed commonly that qualitative research takes more time for completion as compared to quantitative form of research. The reason is that a researcher doing qualitative research has to include information related to all aspects of research, which takes a long time as compared to quantitative research, in which a researcher has to perform statistical analysis in order to generate a generalized form of result. There is a huge time difference between compiling a theoretical research and a numeric result. It takes a researcher very less time to generate a numeric result as compared to theoretical result. A qualitative research compiles and provides information in the form of words and pictures, whereas a quantitative research provides information in a generalized and numeric form. A researcher opts for qualitative research for getting detailed information about the research topic, which takes a long time because the researcher has to visit many people and places for gathering information, whereas a researcher doing quantitative research gather data and uses it to test the hypothesis and facts which make the research process quick and efficient. Most of the researchers opt for qualitative research during earlier phases of the research projects while they go for quantitative research in the final stages (Neill, 2007). These were some of the key qualities of qualitative and quantitative forms of researches, which make them different from each other. Selecting the most appropriate type of research not only depends on the requirements of the research but also on the statistical and communication skills and abilities of the researchers. References Chesterfield, F. (2011). Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Market Research. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Difference-Between-Qualitative-and-Quantitative-Market-Research&id=6072474 Hopkins, W. (2008). Quantitative Research Design. Retrieved from http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0001/wghdesign.html McGuigan, B. (2011). What is the Difference between Quantitative and Qualitative Research?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-quantitative-and-qualitative-research.htm Neill, J. (2007). Qualitative versus Quantitative Research: Key points in a Classic Debate. Retrieved from http://wilderdom.com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch.html Scott, G. (2011). Using Qualitative Research Methods. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Qualitative-Research-Methods&id=6117148 Read More