Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Quantitative research and Qualitative research
Quantitative research involves attaching numbers to relationships between variables (Hopkins, 2000). Quantitative research uses objective measurements and statistical analysis of data that is collected from a well-controlled setting. On the contrary, qualitative research is rooted in phenomenology. Qualitative research involves intensive narrative data collection in order to understand the way things are and to gain insights into how things got to be that way and how people feel about the way things are (Gay & Airasian, 2003). Qualitative data is collected in natural settings and “focuses on understanding social phenomena from the perspective of the human participants in the study” (Ary, Jacobs, & Razavieh, 2002, p. 22). Usually, qualitative research is for generating theory while quantitative research focuses on testing theory (Ary, et al., 2002).
Quantitative research has two types: non-experimental and experimental (Ary et al., 2002). In a non-experimental study, no attempt is made to change behavior or conditions; researchers measure things as they are (Hopkins, 2000). Major forms of non-experimental research are survey research (exploratory studies), correlational studies, and causal-comparative (or ex post facto) studies. Survey research is used to measure the characteristics of different groups or to measure their attitudes and opinions toward some issue; correlational research is done to determine relationships among two or more variables from the same group of people and to examine the strength and direction of relationships among variables (Ary, et al., 2002); causal-comparative research investigates “the cause for or the consequences of differences between groups of people” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1996, p. 10). It should be noted that causal-comparative research does not establish a causal relationship among the variables, because it does not manipulate the independent variable that has already occurred naturally (Ary et al., 2002).
Quantitative research has two types: non-experimental and experimental (Ary et al., 2002). In a non-experimental study, no attempt is made to change behavior or conditions; researchers measure things as they are (Hopkins, 2000). Major forms of non-experimental research are survey research (exploratory studies), correlational studies, and causal-comparative (or ex post facto) studies. Survey research is used to measure the characteristics of different groups or to measure their attitudes and opinions toward some issue; correlational research is done to determine relationships among two or more variables from the same group of people and to examine the strength and direction of relationships among variables (Ary, et al., 2002); causal-comparative research investigates “the cause for or the consequences of differences between groups of people” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1996, p. 10). It should be noted that causal-comparative research does not establish a causal relationship among the variables, because it does not manipulate the independent variable that has already occurred naturally (Ary et al., 2002).
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