Paper Example Undergraduate 575 words

Value of Shifting From Qualitative to Quantitative

Last reviewed: February 25, 2014 ~3 min read

¶ … Value of Shifting from Qualitative to Quantitative and Back Again

Qualitative research is considered hypothesis generating, whereas quantitative research is designed to test hypotheses. Based on this perspective, the natural direction of research flow would be from qualitative to quantitative study designs (Black & Fauske, 2008). Qualitative research tends to focus on experiences, rather than the measuring and tracking of objective factors, but there are times when it makes sense to base a qualitative study on quantitative findings. This essay will examine the value of transitioning from qualitative to quantitative study designs and vice versa.

Qualitative to Quantitative

A qualitative study is traditionally conducted when little is understood about a phenomenon, such as the experiences of patients during treatment. For example, Black and Fauske (2008) were interested in understanding the experiences and practices of case managers during advanced care planning. A focus group design was used to conduct semi-structured interviews, which resulted in the identification of five modalities of practice: (1) providing information, (2) referrals, (3) discussing options, (4) acting as moderator between family members, and (5) interfacing with providers. Further analysis allowed the researchers to identify themes, together with barriers and facilitators of advanced care planning by case managers.

The qualitative study conducted by Black and Fauske (2008) was based on a small sample size, but to increase the validity and reliability of the findings a quantitative study design was needed. The qualitative findings were used to create a survey, which could then be used to sample a larger number of case managers. For example, the theme of 'divergent roles in advanced care planning' was reduced to three subthemes: (1) no role, (2) limited role, and (3) distinctive role. Accordingly, the survey question would ask participants what they perceived their advanced care planning role to be as case managers. Another example was related to barriers and facilitators of advanced care planning and the role of case manager knowledge and experience in this area.

Quantitative to Qualitative

You’re 60% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.

Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log in
130,000+ paper examples AI writing assistant Citation generator Cancel anytime
References
2 sources cited in this paper
  • Black, K. & Fauske, J. (2008). Measuring case managers’ advance care planning practice: Translating focus group findings to survey development. Care Management Journals, 9(4), 166-76.
  • Ullman, S. E. (2005). Interviewing clinicians and advocates who work with sexual assault survivors: A personal perspective on moving from quantitative to qualitative research methodologies. Violence Against Women, 11(9), 1113-39.
Cite This Paper
PaperDue. (2014). Value of Shifting From Qualitative to Quantitative. PaperDue. https://www.paperdue.com/essay/value-of-shifting-from-qualitative-to-quantitative-183771

Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.