Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research: Understanding the Key Differences

Qualitative research is a methodology that gathers descriptive data to explain a certain phenomenon. Qualitative research helps to understand people's behaviors and experiences through the examination of non-numerical data. Whether you are planning to explore detailed narratives or analyze numerical data, we specialize in providing expert writing services for both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies by offering customized support to meet your research needs. Examples of qualitative research data collection methods are interviews, observations, focus groups, and surveys. An example of qualitative research can be market research where a company can use qualitative research methods such as focus groups to get feedback from customers necessary for decision making.

The quantitative research method is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting numerical data. It aims to measure variables and check the connections between them to come up with meaningful conclusions. It is used in fields such as psychology, social sciences, and economics. An example of quantitative research methods can be where a company can administer questionnaires to their customers and ask them to rate their services, they then use the acquired information to make strategic decisions.

As much as the two research methods have different goals and use different data sets, they have similarities that enable them to be used together. Below are the similarities of qualitative and quantitative research methods;

• Both methods rely on a theoretical framework which helps guide the research process.
• Both research methods need a research design to carry out the research.
• Both research methods use similar elements to conduct research.
• Qualitative research can be used to generate a theory, which is the sole purpose of quantitative research, and quantitative research can be used to test a theory, which is the main goal of qualitative research.
• Ethical considerations such as consent by participants are crucial in both research methods.

This article contains the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research, how to choose the appropriate qualitative research methods, types of quantitative research methods, and why we are the best research methods writing services.

What are the differences between qualitative and quantitative research?

Qualitative and quantitative research differ mainly due to their goals and data set formats. The table below shows the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research.

	Qualitative	Quantitative
Data set format	Data is normally non-numerical and obtained from audio sets and videos.	Data is numerical.
Theoretical framework	It aims to generate a theory and uses semi-structured research methods such as interviews and observations.	It aims to explain a theory and uses highly structured research methods, for example, questionnaires.
Research question format	Research questions are close-ended.	Research questions are normally open-ended.
Flexibility	Some study aspects can be changed, such as the interview questions.	The research design is stable from the start to the end.

Choosing the Appropriate Qualitative Research Methods

Despite the qualitative research method chosen, the researcher's personal and interactional skills are crucial in data collection and interpretation. Below is a comprehensive guide on how to choose the appropriate qualitative research method and carry out the analysis:

Step 1: Choosing the research design

Choosing the research design is the roadmap that guides the research. The research design consists of the sampling procedures used, the type of data to be gathered, and how it will be analyzed and stored. Examples of data analysis software used in qualitative data analysis include NVivo and MAXQDA.

Step 2: Define the research questions

Qualitative research aims to answer two types of research questions: Descriptive and mechanistic. A descriptive research question answers questions about a specific phenomenon; for example, research may be conducted to understand the first 3-month experience of students joining a university.

A mechanistic research question addresses questions of how and why a phenomenon occurs. For example, a researcher may aim to find out how eating certain foods can lead to a reduction in common viral diseases. Additionally, researchers answer questions about how, where, and with who will the study be conducted.

Step 3: Choosing the appropriate data collection method

Data collection in qualitative research can either be at the cultural or individual level. At a cultural level, researchers aim to collect information on community-related activities, while at individual levels, the focus is on the practices of individuals. Some cultural-level data collection methods are such:

• Audio-visual documentation, which involves filming activities that take place in the community for later analysis.
• Using secondary data collected to understand the history of a phenomenon.
• Network research involves observing or conducting surveys to understand particular trends.
• Focus groups help researchers learn the norms and practices of a certain community. They are used to discover what a certain community wants or would like to have.

Examples of individual data collection methods are:

• Interviews which involve one-on-one interaction with the participants to gain information. They can be in-depth or semi-structured. In-depth interviews are conducted with a small number of people, whilst semi-structured interviews collect information from a larger sample of individuals.
• Observation involves observing and recording the behaviors of certain individuals. The researcher can take videos, note down, or use whatever method they can choose to document the observation.
• Conducting surveys involves collecting data from individuals and then identifying patterns and trends in the set of data.

Step 4: Preparation and data collection

The researcher prepares for the research process by getting the equipment needed to conduct the study, reaching out to participants, calculating the budget, and sending participant waivers in advance to the involved participants.

The researcher then carries out the research through the chosen method of data collection.

Step 5: Data documentation

The first step of data storage is converting raw data to computer files, for example, audio recordings are transcribed then all transcriptions are typed into computer files. Data is then stored in one place, ready for analysis.

Step 6: Data analysis

This step involves developing codes to organize your data set and identifying patterns and trends in the data. There are a variety of data analysis methods that researchers use to make sense of data collected, some of which include thematic analysis, which identifies patterns in multiple data sources; grounded theory analysis, which involves developing a theory based on data collected; or narrative analysis which analyzes the narrations of participants to understand their beliefs.

Step 7: Interpretation and Reporting

The researcher interprets the research findings by identifying patterns and then comparing the research findings to existing knowledge in the field. It is then reported using features such as videos, journey maps, or a report.

Step 8: Share the findings

The final step of the qualitative research is sharing the findings with the key stakeholders.

Types of Quantitative Research Methods

Quantitative research methods can be generally divided into two parts which are primary and secondary methods. Primary research methods are where the researcher collects their data instead of relying on existing sources. Secondary methods are where the researcher relies on secondary sources. Below is a comprehensive guide to both methods:

Primary Quantitative Research Methods

Primary quantitative research methods can be further divided into three sections which are the types, data collection, and analysis methodologies.

1. Types of primary quantitative research methods

These are such as descriptive, correlational, and experimental research.

(a). Correlational research methods

The researcher investigates relationships between two variables and how one variable affects the other using mathematical analysis procedures. The researcher concludes the patterns and trends identified in the data set. An example of a correlational research question is: What is the relationship between fame and wealth?

(b). Experimental research methods

Experimental research involves manipulating one variable and measuring the effect of another variable. It determines what causes and affects relationships between variables.

(c). Descriptive research methods

This type of research describes a certain phenomenon. It involves collecting and analyzing data to give a summary of the data, such as the percentages and frequencies.

2. Data collection methodologies

Data collection in primary quantitative research is divided into data collection using surveys and data collection using sampling.

(a). Sampling

Sampling is choosing a small sector of a group to be a representative of the whole population. In quantitative research, there are two main methods of sampling which are probability and non-probability. Probability sampling involves random selection, allowing the researcher to make strong statistical assumptions about the whole group, while non-probability sampling is where the researcher uses their knowledge and experience to create samples.

(b). Using surveys

After determining the sample, surveys are conducted to carry out data analysis. A survey is a quantitative research method used to collect data from a chosen group of participants to gain information on a certain research topic.

3. Data analysis techniques

Data analysis is done after data collection to draw meaningful conclusions from the set of data. An example of a quantitative data analysis technique is cross-tabulation.

Secondary Quantitative Research Methods

This research method involves using existing sources to make conclusions based on that data. They include; secondary data on the internet, information on government sources, or commercial sources, such as newspapers and journals.

Why Our Services Are the Best Qualitative/ Quantitative Research Writing Services

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Summary

Qualitative research methods are utilized to gather non-numerical data to explain a certain phenomenon, while quantitative research methods are methods that involve the collection of numerical data to explain patterns and trends in a data set. Using these statistical analysis methods can help one gain valuable insights crucial for decision-making. Alternatively, one can opt to get qualitative research writing help to maximize their analysis process. Our qualitative and quantitative research writing services are readily available, 24/7, to do your statistical analysis. Contact us today to get started. You are assured that we assign your task to an expert in your field of study, the work is original and non plagiarized, and we observe high-quality academic writing integrity.