Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Quantitative and qualitative are two differrent approaches to research. In fact, they are very, very different, like fire and ice. Theoretically, you cannot do both in a single study. However, in practice sometimes it is possible to use both approaches in a study (see mixed method in a previous entry).

I have explained how the two differ in my 'Research Methodology' lectures, and now I post the table showing their differences below as you said you needed my slides. (If you think the size of the letters is too small and you find it hard to read, just click the image and you will see the larger version. You can save it to your hard drive.)


In general that's how they differ. The procedure of conducting both research is actually also different. Please see the image below.


When you conduct quantitative research, you begin by stating the research questions, and based on them you formulate hypotheses. After that, you collect data, analyze them, and report the findings which result from the analysis. So the process is quite linear, like a straight line.

When you conduct qualitative research, you begin by collecting preliminary data in the field. You have to go to the field to collect data, and based on the data you could state the research questions. Next, you return to the field and collect more data. It is possible (not always) that you do not get the data you want. In this case, you have to revise the research questions. That's why I draw an arrow connecting research questions and data collection in the above picture. After revising the research questions, you can go to the field again and collect data. Then you could analyze the data and report the findings. The process of conducting qualitative research can be (again, not always) like a spiral.


If you have questions, just write them in the comment box. I'll try to answer them as soon as possible.