Methods for collecting quantitative data

Surveys are a set of closed or multiple choice questions that are delivered to a sample of people (online,
in person, or over the phone).

Experiments: A scenario in which factors are controlled and changed in order to establish cause-and-
effect linkages.

Observations: Observing subjects in a natural setting when variables are uncontrollable.

Methods for collecting qualitative data

Interviews: Asking open-ended questions to respondents verbally.

Focus groups: A discussion among a group of people on a topic in order to collect opinions that might be
used for future research.

Participating in a community or organization for an extended period of time in order to closely observe
culture and behavior is referred to as ethnography.

A literature review is a survey of previously published works by other authors.

When should qualitative research be used instead of quantitative research?

When selecting whether to employ qualitative or quantitative data, a good rule of thumb is: