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Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research
According to Lopez-Alvarado (2017) and Muijs (n.d.), research design decisions are linked to ontology and epistemology. Ontology refers to the researcher’s beliefs about whether reality is absolute or contextual, universal or relative. Whether the researcher is a realist or a relativist determines research questions and designs, with an increased tendency for relativists to focus on phenomenological and qualitative methods and a realist to use quantitative methods. Muijs (n.d.) describes quantitative research as using numerical data and mathematical methods, showing how a realist will use these types of methods to seek for an objective truth. Likewise, epistemology refers to how the researcher acquires knowledge, or what sources of knowledge are deemed valid. A researcher who believes in absolutism and realism will veer towards quantitative methods, which yield absolute and generalizable results. On the other hand, a researcher who values subjectivity would take a phenomenological and qualitative approach. Lopez-Alvarado (2017) describes how culture and other contextual variables may have a strong bearing on a researcher’s ontological orientation. Muijs (n.d.) also points out that it is rare for a researcher to be fully positivist or fully subjectivist, for the extremes of these two ontological frameworks are problematic. Ideally, researchers...
For instance, quantitative research yields numerical results and can be used to test hypotheses. Qualitative research is best for uncovering meaning to problems or solutions to complex problems that cannot be reasonably simplified into just a few testable variables.
Experimental vs. Quasi-Experimental Design
Both experimental and quasi-experimental designs are used in quantitative research. The main difference between experimental and quasi-experimental designs is that the latter does not use random assignment to control and experimental groups. With a quasi-experimental design, the control group is called the comparison group (Muijs, n.d., p. 27). To ensure validity and reliability, the researcher must ensure that population characteristics are as similar as possible between to the two groups to avoid problems with mitigating variables. For example, if a researcher wanted to test the effects of a gifted program on standardized achievement test scores, the comparison group would need to be of the same age, grade, and also with similar pre-test scores. When possible, the researcher also ensures that demographics are similarly distributed among the comparison and experimental groups. When studying the efficacy of dual-credit…
Mixed Methods Research Two important aspects of qualitative research relates to the role of the researcher and the manner in which knowledge is viewed. These two aspects fundamentally distinguish qualitative research from quantitative research (Creswell, 2014). In qualitative research, the researcher seeks to cultivate a closer relationship with the subject(s). This means that the researcher focuses on a single or a small number of subjects, and utilises designs that allow closer
Research ApproachesCreswell and Creswell (2018) describe three primary research approaches: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Each approach has a different worldview that informs the researcher\\\'s methodology, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.Qualitative ApproachThe qualitative approach seeks to understand the subjective meanings, experiences, and perspectives of people through the collection and analysis of non-numerical data. The worldview associated with qualitative research is often considered constructivism or interpretivism, which recognizes the role of
social science research are qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative research is believed to operate from a subjective, constructionist view of reality, whereas quantitative research operates from an objective, positivist viewpoint of the world. There has been quite a bit of debate over the merits of each of these approaches, often with one paradigm belittling the assumptions of the other. The current literature review explores the philosophical foundations of
Qualitative Case Study AssignmentIntroductionThe qualitative case study serves as a research methodology that enables the exploration of a specific phenomenon within a particular context, utilizing various data sources. This approach examines the phenomenon from multiple perspectives, unveiling its diverse facets (Baxter & Jack, 2008). By investigating real-time occurrences within their natural contexts, case studies acknowledge the influence of the surrounding circumstances (Kaarbo & Beasley, 1999).A case study is a commonly
Anchored on the research objective of determining differences, if there are any, in human trafficking rates between male and female adults, the researcher will develop a tool (in-depth interview guide) that will cull out important insights into the issue of human trafficking, from the perspective of both the victims and representatives from organizations/agencies on preventing it. An in-depth interview is the appropriate qualitative data collection method, as the issue of human
Research Methods Literature Review A literature review on an identified research topic or issue is an important element when conducting a study regardless of whether the study employs qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research design. The significance of conducting a literature review is attributable to the several functions and roles the review plays in the research process. Literature review is crucial when conducting a study because it’s a means of synthesizing