Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Essay

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1. Qualitative research does not depend on numbers or statistics, unlike quantitative research. Liberated from the need to devise surveys or instruments to measure only quantifiable results, the research can gather information that is more abstract, subjective, or exploratory in nature. Both qualitative and quantitative research are empirical methods relevant to the social sciences, and can be used together to bolster understanding of a specific subject, population, theory, issue, or set of variables. Some of the most common research designs used in qualitative research include interviews, observations, and case studies.

Some of the drawbacks of qualitative research methods include the small sample size, and the lack of generalizable data. To make up for this drawback, researchers can supplement their initial qualitative research with a follow-up study that focuses on some of the key variables that were elucidated in the qualitative research.

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Qualitative research is systematic, even though it is not quantitative in its design. For example, a researcher can use systems of verbal coding when analyzing interview responses to determine which themes or phrases are repeated most often by participants. Similarly, a researcher can catalog gestures or behaviors in an observational research design. Using systematic methods that are thoroughly explained in the report helps to improve the rigor of any qualitative research. On the contrary, researchers undermine the integrity and validity of their qualitative research when they do not use systematic means of analyzing the data, or when they do not frame their research in terms of prevailing theories or prior literature. Researchers also need to minimize bias when designing their qualitative studies, such as by carefully crafting interview questions or methods of observation.
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