Comparing quantitative and qualitative research methodologies

¶ … innately superior: rather some methodologies may be more appropriate to certain types of research questions than others. The quantitative approach is fundamentally deductive, often using the scientific method of posing a specific hypothesis, amassing a large amount of data in which there are experimental and control groups, and then reaching a conclusion based upon controlling the variables involved in the study. In contrast, qualitative research is inductive and reaches conclusions based upon observed, specific evidence. There is no hypothesis to test. Rather than attempt to limit the variables that could affect the final results, usually the population under study is limited instead to allow for increased scrutiny. The variables under study may change.

Quantitative research is usually numerical in design and is based in statistical analysis. Although it may use questionnaires, qualitative research is based upon interviews and observations. Often these observations are participatory in nature, as the researcher becomes involved in the process of the study. Thus, qualitative research is openly subjective in a manner that quantitative research is not. For example, a quantitative study might seek to determine if girls' performance on the math section of the SAT was enhanced by being in a single-gender math classroom. The test scores of a group of girls in single-gender math classrooms would be compared with girls in mixed-gender math classrooms. Other variables such as socio-economic status, race, previous exposure to the concepts, and innate ability would need to be controlled for, to ensure that the only different variable between the two groups was the nature of their education.