BSHS 435 Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

BSHS 435

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

This paper will be describing and comparing quantitative and qualitative research methods. It will include definitions of each type of research, with attention to how they differ and relate to each other in the human services field.

The definition of appropriate academic research:

According to the textbook Practical Research, “Research is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information (data) in order to increase our understanding of a phenomenon about which we are interested or concerned.” Insert reference

Because Academic research is a multi-step process (the three core steps include, 1.Pose a question, 2. Collect data to answer the question, and 3. Present an answer to the question.) it doesn’t always go in a straight line. In educational or academic research, the process consists of six steps: 1. identifying a research problem, 2. reviewing the literature, 3. specifying a purpose for research, 4. collecting data, 5. Analyzing and interpreting the data, and 6. Reporting and evaluating research. The person doing the research may find that he or she has to go back to previous stages of the research in order to refine the topic.

What is quantitative research and qualitative research? How do they differ and relate each to the human services field and the scientific method?

Conducting educational research is more than engaging in the major steps in the process of research mentioned above. It also includes designing and writing the research in one of the two major tracks: quantitative research or qualitative research.

According the textbook Educational Research…Creswell gives a good definition of quantitative research, “In quantitative research, the investigator identifies a research problem based on trends in the field or on the need to explain why something occurs. Describing a trend means that the research problem can be answered best by a study in which the researcher seeks to establish the overall tendency of responses from individuals and to note how this tendency varies among people.” (Creswell, 2012)

This method can be used to describe how one thing or variable affect another. Some of the characteristics of the quantitative method is Describing a research problem through a description of trends, suggesting research questions to be asked, Creating purpose statements, research questions, and hypotheses that are specific, narrow, measurable, and observable, collecting data using preset questions and responses, analyzing trends and comparing groups, and writing the research report and taking an unbiased approach when doing so. In quantitative research, you ask specific, narrow questions to obtain measurable data.

Qualitative research is used to address a research problem in which you do not know the variables and need to explore them. In qualitative research, the purpose statement and the research questions are stated so that you can best learn from participants in the study or research. You research a single phenomenon of interest and state this phenomenon in a purpose statement. In qualitative research, you collect data to learn from the participants in the study and develop forms, called protocols, for recording data as the study proceeds.

Here are some characteristics of qualitative research at each stage of the process that make this type of research different from quantitative research: Exploring a problem and developing a detailed understanding of a central phenomenon, Stating the purpose and research questions in a general and broad way, Collecting data based on words from a small number of individuals so that the participants’ views are obtained, analyzing data and interpreting the larger meaning of the findings, and includes the researchers’ subject flexibility and bias.

The things that make these two processes the same is the fact that they both use or follow the six steps of research. Also, both quantitative and qualitative data collection may employ similar approaches, such as interviews or observations. What makes these two different is the fact that “In quantitative research the research problem section is used to direct the types of questions or hypotheses asked in the study, whereas in qualitative research the research problem discussion is typically used to establish the importance of the central idea.” (Creswell, 2012)

How to decide whether to use a quantitative or qualitative research methodology, what sort of study is appropriate for each methodology and why.

There are three important factors to remember when deciding which method to use, first, one should match the approach to the research problem. The problems best suited for quantitative research are those in which trends or explanations need to be made. For qualitative research, the problems need to be explored to obtain a deep understanding. Second, according to the book, it is important to match the approach needs to the audience who will read the reports, and third, relate the approach to personal experience and training. “A quantitative researcher typically has taken some courses or training in measurement, statistics, and quantitative data collection, such as experiments, correlational designs, or survey techniques. Qualitative researchers need experience in field studies in which they practice gathering information in a setting and learning the skills of observing or interviewing individuals. Coursework or experience in analyzing text data is helpful, as well as in research designs such as grounded theory, ethnography, or narrative research.” (Creswell, 2012)

Mixed method research and its strengths:

The combination of both forms of data provides a better understanding of a research problem than either quantitative or qualitative data by itself. Mixed methods designs are procedures for collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or in a multiphase series of studies. Doing it this way, one gives priority to data, like what will be collected first or what order it is collected, and how this data will be mixed. This method would be good used in advocacy in social services, because the data that is collected is used to guide the study, and mixing the ways of collecting that information might entail both methods.

One of the ethical issues is one of getting proper permissions before accessing a site and not causing a disturbance to the data or the place where the data is stored. Also, there needs to be respect paid to the person reading the data. It is the researcher’s responsibility to report honestly.

According to the article Bridging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide, there is one ethical issue when it comes to the mixed method being used for research, and that is validity. “Some of the issues raised by Creswell and Clark are (I) how should validity be conceptualized in mixed methods research; (2) how and when to report and discuss validity for qualitative and quantitative strands of mixed methods research; (3) whether researchers should follow the original guidelines and expectations, and (4) how to minimize potential threas to the validity related to data collection and analysis issues in mixed methods research. Overall, validation is a major issue in this method” (Venkatesh, V., Brown, S. A., & Bala, H. 2013)

In closing, using these methods in research, whether qualitative or quantitative, or mixed, it is important to know that the choice of research between the two is based on matching the approach to a research problem, fitting the approach to your audience, and relating the approach to personal experiences.

References

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Qauntitative and Qualitative Reasearch (4thed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Leedy, P. D., & Ormond, J. E. (2010). Practical Research. Planning and Design (9thed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., & DeJong, C. R. (2011). Applied Social Research: A Tool for the Human Services (8thed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Venkatesh, V., Brown, S. A., & Bala, H. (2013). Bridging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide: Guidelines for Conducting Mixed Methods Research in Information Systems. MIS Quarterly, 37(1), 21-54.