Qualitative Research Vs. Quantitative Research

For this paper Qualitative research will be defined as a form of research rooted in empiricism in which the researcher is the means through which the study is conducted to learn about some aspect of the social world (LITF 6). Quantitative research will be defined as research conducted to test reality by testing hypotheses through experiments, quasi-experiments, or correlations in an effort to view social realities objectively (trying to eliminate observer bias) (LITF 8).

There are two world views defined in regards to research. Qualitative research correlates with World View II as Quantitative correlates or operates from a World View I standpoint. Both viewpoints are valid and both contribute valuable aspects to the research process. However, as they are widely divergent, this means that qualitative and quantitative research must focus on different areas in the search for their own truths.

For instance, qualitative research is not interested in numerical measurements, or for that matter, measurements of any sort very often. Quantitative research on the other hand, believes that the end result of the research should be represented in numerical means. Numbers are only one aspect of the differences between the two research methods however.

Another key difference is the type of questions, or the ultimate goal of the questions, that these methods of research ask. Qualitative seeks to understand the social reality of human's constructed meanings. It aims for a full-bodied, rich description. Quantitative analyses and measures cause and effect relationships between variables, not what the variables constructed meanings are. However, quantitative results are often more generalizable than qualitative results are. But, in qualitative, rare communication phenomena are given just as much importance as more frequently occurring phenomena. Quantitative generally treats rare communication occurrences as aberrations and not of real statistical significance. Qualitative research looks at the process of construction, but quantitative research does not examine processes.

The textbook by Denzin (p.15-16) lists five ways in which qualitative and quantitative research differs. They include: uses of positivism and post-positivism; acceptance of postmodern sensibilities; capturing the individual's point of view; examining the constraints of everyday life; and securing rich descriptions. They also go on to explain that other researchers will have different issues with quantitative research than they do. And that is a very sensible approach. However, I would like to look at the five issues listed above in a little more detail.

The use of positivism and post-positivism criteria is almost a misnomer as both methods were originally based on positivist research. However, over time, qualitative began to incorporate post-positivism aspects into its research. Post-positivism states that there is no objective truth because all methods that could be used to find it are flawed. Positivism states that there is an objective truth or reality that can be captured like a "snapshot." Looking at these two traditions, one can see where the world views branched while qualitative and quantitative did as well.

The acceptance of postmodern sensibilities is an interesting criterion to examine. In a way this criteria of difference is about tolerance. Qualitative research has a much more tolerant view of research methods as they are willing to accept many different standpoints and methodologies as they all could lead to a truth. Quantitative researchers sometimes see the postmodern types of research as irrelevant to them and discard them according to that belief. This limits quantitative research quite a bit, but as they are more concerned with statistical relevance than in-depth construction of meaning, the field of quantitative research continues on unabated.

Capturing the individual's point of view is essential to both methods of research. However, as stated above, qualitative takes it into in-depth interviewing and self analysis. Quantitative researchers often miss valuable opportunities to gain insight into the individual's experience because they deal in surveys and closed answered questions in which the individual has no opportunity to express their perceptions in detail.

Examining the constraints of everyday life affects both disciplines. But as quantitative withdraws from the realm of personal realities, it is not as highly impacted as qualitative research is. Likewise, qualitative is much more able to secure rich descriptions of events and phenomena than quantitative is. Quantitative researchers cannot condense descriptions into raw numerical data, nor can descriptions be easily generalized to larger populations. Qualitative is partially unconcerned with generalizing results to the masses. It the data they present is sound, then it will be generalizable to a smaller, but no less important, segment of the population.

In conclusion, I know that this essay can only scratch the surface of the differences between qualitative and quantitative research. But at the heart of it, I believe the difference to be quite simple. Qualitative research allows reality to be constructed between the participants and the researcher. Qualitative research is about introspection. Quantitative research allows us to understand, from a numerical perspective, the relationships and correlations between variables. It looks at specimens while qualitative research looks at people. No method is more worthy than any other. But some methods are far more palatable than others.