Qualitative and Quantitative Research Differences

Discussion of the Differences Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Q1. How does a research problem/question guide the determination to conduct a quantitative versus a qualitative research study? In general, qualitative research is exploratory in nature and seeks to understand a particular phenomenon from a particular subject’s perspective (McLeod, 2017). It is open-ended in its focus and the researcher has no predetermined conclusions before embarking upon the study. As a result, it focuses on a small rather than a large population.

In stark contrast, a quantitative study seeks to understand a phenomenon in an objective fashion that is generalizable to a large population (McLeod, 2017). It is often framed in the form of a predetermined hypothesis and is narrow in its focus. Q2. Discuss the value of using a conceptual framework or theory (grand or mid-range) to guide a quantitative research study. Address the debate of the appropriateness of using of a conceptual framework or theory to guide a qualitative research study.

Within the framework of nursing research in particular, it is not unusual to use a nursing theory to frame the structure of a quantitative study, particularly to narrow a hypothesis and build upon previous research (Thompson, 2017). The risk is using a theory which is overly theoretical in its approach for a data-driven study.

Similarly, even though qualitative research is more open-ended, it can still be useful to use a theory or an operational definition of caring, self-care, or another nursing concept to focus the responses of participants to a greater degree. Q3.

What specific types of research designs are used in quantitative research? What specific types of designs are used in qualitative research? Quantitative research designs such as cross-sectional (comparing different populations), cohort (following a population united by a similar characteristic), longitudinal (for an extended period of time) or descriptive research studies are all driven by an attempt to answer a particular research question (Labaree, 2018).

Qualitative designs include phenomenological (studying a particular phenomenon in a general fashion), case studies (focusing on a single person or group), ethnographies (study of a particular culture), or grounded theory approaches (creating a theory after doing inductive research) (Labaree, 2018). Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research designs are not designed to answer a specific, limited, and enclosed question. Q4.

What are differences in determining sample size between quantitative and qualitative research studies? Quantitative research studies of all types tend to use large populations, to reduce the risk that extraneous variables will influence the final result and to ensure the findings are generalizable to larger populations, Qualitative studies focus on getting high-quality data from a small population. The focus is on ensuring enough subjects to accurately examine the phenomenon in question but that the population is small enough to allow each participant to offer their unique insights.

In the instance of a qualitative case study, only a single participant may be focused upon (Labaree, 2018). Q5. Discuss the difference in methods of data analysis for quantitative research versus qualitative research studies. Data analysis for quantitative research is statistical in nature, given that the primary methods of data-gathering for quantitative studies are experiments, close-question surveys (such as a multiple choice or Likert scale format), and descriptive statistical data (McLeod, 2017).

For qualitative research, data takes the form of open-ended or semi-structured interviews, observations, and multimedia, and may simply involve recording the results and observations of the researcher (McLeod, 2017). Grounded theory studies may code responses, but responses are much more varied, given that they take the form of responses rather than numerical answers. Q6. Discuss methods of insuring scientific rigor in quantitative research studies versus qualitative research studies. Quantitative studies strive to isolate confounding variables that may affect the final results of the study.