DIFFERENCES
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Positivism, Neopositivism,
Postpositivism
It’s objective, there is a unique
reality and it doesn’t change.
Apply Deductive Logic (from
general to particular)
It takes into account laws and
data theories
Ethnography, Observation
He/she takes a neutral position.
He/she doesn’t involve his/her
values and beliefs.
Test hypotheses and theories,
check the cause and effect,
develop prediction for the future.
Delimited, bounded, specific, a
little bit flexible
Confirm ans test the hypothesis
Structured and predetermined
The sample population is large.
Numbers and statistics.
Quantitative data, based on
precise measurements using
structured and validated data
collection instruments
Identify patterns, features,
themes.
Objective, impersonal and
unemotional tone.
Statistical report with
correlational comparison.
CATEGORY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
FRAMEWORK Phenomenology,
Constructivism, Naturalism,
Interpretivism. 
REALITY It’s subjective, there are
several subjective realities,
LOGIC Apply Inductive Logic (from
particular to general)
It doesn’t take into account
laws.
METHOD Experiments, Correlation
RESEARCHER He/she takes into account
his/her values and beliefs
PURPOSE Understand and interpret
social interactions.
STATEMENT OF Opened, free, non-delimited,
THE PROBLEM very flexible
HYPOTHESIS Formulate the hypothesis
DESIGN Flexible and emergent
SAMPLE Small groups analyzed almost
never show generalization.
DATA TYPE Words, images, objects.
DATA Qualitative data such as
COLLECTION open-ended responses,
interview, observation and
field notes.
DATA ANALYSIS Identify statistical
relationships.
REPORT OF Personal and emotional tone
RESULTS
Narrative report with
contextual description.