Key Differences in Types of Research

Let’s say you want to know how a group will vote in an election. You are facing a classic decision of collection qualitative vs. quantitative details.

With one method, you can ask voters open-ended questions that encourage them to share how they feel, what issues are important to them and the reasons they will vote a particular way. With the other, you can ask closed questions, giving the respondents a list of options. You will then turn that information into statistics.

Neither method is more correct than the other, but they serve different purposes. Learn more about the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research and how you can use them.

What is Qualitative Research?

Qualitative research aims to explore and understand the depth, context and nuances of human experiences, behaviors and phenomena. This methodological approach emphasizes the collection of rich non-numerical information through methods such as interviews, focus groups, observations and content analysis.

In qualitative research, the emphasis is on finding patterns and meanings within a particular social or cultural context. Researchers examine the subjective aspects of human behaviour, perceptions and feelings.

This approach is invaluable for investigating complex and multifaceted issues, providing a deeper understanding of the complexities involved.

Common qualitative research methods include open-ended interviews, where participants can freely express their thoughts, and thematic analysis, which involves identifying recurring themes in the data.

Examples of How to Use Qualitative Research

The flexibility of qualitative research allows researchers to adapt their methods based on emerging insights, fostering a more organic and holistic exploration of the research topic. This is a method widely used in the social sciences, psychology and market research.

Here are some ways you can use qualitative research.

• Understand the people who make up a community: If you want to learn more about a community, you can talk to them or observe them to learn more about their customs, norms and values.

• Examining people’s experiences within the healthcare system: While you can certainly look at statistics to determine whether someone feels positive or negative about their healthcare experience, you may not get a deep understanding of why they feel that way. For example, if a nurse went above and beyond for a patient, they might say they are satisfied with the care they received. But if medical professional after medical professional dismisses someone over several years, they will have more negative comments.

• To audit the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns: Marketing is a field that usually collects statistical data, but it can also benefit from qualitative research. For example, if you have a successful campaign, you can interview people to find out what resonated with them and why. If you find that they liked the humor because it shows that you’re not taking it too seriously, you can try to replicate that feeling in future campaigns.

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Types of Qualitative Data Collection

Qualitative data captures the qualities, attributes or characteristics of the subject. It can take many forms, including:

• Audio data: Recordings of interviews, discussions or any other listening information. This can be useful when dealing with events from the past. Setting up a recording device also allows a researcher to stay on site without having to jot down notes.

• Observational data: With this type of qualitative data analysis, you can record behavior, events or interactions.

• Textual data: Use oral or written information gathered through interviews, open-ended surveys or focus groups to learn more about a topic.

• Visual data: You can learn new information through images, photos, videos or other visual materials.

What is Quantitative Research?

Quantitative research is a systematic empirical investigation that involves the collection and analysis of numerical data. This approach seeks to understand, explain or predict phenomena by gathering quantifiable information and applying statistical methods for analysis.

Unlike qualitative research, which focuses on non-numerical, descriptive data, quantitative research data involves measurements, counting and statistical techniques to reach objective conclusions.

Examples of How to Use Quantitative Research

Quantitative research focuses on statistical analysis. Here are some ways you can use quantitative research methods.

• Studying city employment rates: Through this research you can measure if there are any patterns over a certain period of time.

• Looking at the impact of air pollution on a neighbourhood: If the creation of a highway has created more air pollution in a neighborhood, you can collect data to learn about the health impacts on area residents. For example, you can see what percentage of people developed respiratory problems after moving to the neighborhood.

Types of Quantitative Data

Quantitative data refers to numerical information that you can measure and count. Here are some statistics you can use.

• Height, yards, volume and more: You can use different measurements to gain insight into different types of research, such as the average distance workers are willing to travel to learn the job or to find out the average height of a ballerina.

• Temperature: Measure in either degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. Or, if you are looking for the coldest place in the universe, you can measure in Kelvins.

• Sales figures: With this information, you can look at a store’s performance over time, compare one company to another or learn what the average sales are in a specific industry.

Qualitative Research vs. Quantitative: 3 Key Differences

Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are valid and useful ways of collecting data. Here are some ways they differ.

• Method of data collection: Quantitative research uses standardized tools, such as surveys, experiments or structured observations, to collect numerical data. Qualitative research uses open-ended methods such as interviews, focus groups or content analysis.

• Nature of the data: Quantitative research involves numerical data that you can measure and analyze statistically, whereas qualitative research involves exploring the depth and richness of experiences through non-numerical descriptive data.

• Sampling: Quantitative research involves larger samples to ensure statistical validity and generalizability of findings to a population. With qualitative research, it is best to work with a smaller sample to gain deep insights into specific contexts or experiences.

The Benefits of Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research

You can study both qualitative and quantitative data at the same time. This method, known as mixed methods research, has several advantages, including:

• Comprehensive understanding: The integration of qualitative and quantitative data provides a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem. Qualitative data helps explain context and nuances, while quantitative data provides statistical generalizability.

• Contextualization: Qualitative data helps to contextualize quantitative results by explaining the whys and hows of statistical patterns behind them. This deeper understanding contributes to more informed interpretations of quantitative results.

• Triangulation: Triangulation is the use of multiple methods to validate or corroborate findings. By combining qualitative and quantitative data researchers can cross-validate results, increasing the overall validity and reliability of the study.

This article was created in collaboration with AI technology, and was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.

Basis: Qualitative vs. Quantitative: Key Differences in Types of Research

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