GALIMBA, Marienne Joy D.

RS299B

Midterm Examination

The most generally used instrument for increasing and brushing up on one's stock of
information about something or someone is research. There are two common approaches to
conducting research: qualitative and quantitative.
Quantitative research is expressed in numbers and graphs. It is utilized to put
hypotheses and assumptions to the test. This form of study can be utilized to come up with
generalizable facts about a subject. Experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and
surveys with closed-ended questions are all common quantitative procedures.
Qualitative research is expressed in words. It's used to comprehend ideas, thoughts, and
experiences. This form of research allows you to gain in-depth knowledge about issues that
aren't well-known. Interviews with open-ended inquiries, observations reported in words, and
literature reviews that investigate concepts and theories are all common qualitative methods.
Qualitative and quantitative methodologies have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
The qualitative (exploratory) phase can be thought of as the phase in which hypotheses and
theories are developed, which can then be tested in a quantitative (confirmatory) segment of
the study. The quantitative section could be used to extrapolate qualitative results (Lobe,
2008). For example, the strength of quantitative data lies in answering questions such as, how
many children use the internet and are children who use the internet a lot more or less likely to
read a lot of books? The strength of qualitative methods lies in answering questions such as,
what does the internet mean for children? As Patton (1990: 132) has suggested, “qualitative
data can put flesh on the bones of quantitative results, bringing results to life through in-depth
case elaboration.”
Qualitative and quantitative data are frequently combined by researchers. A qualitative
study is occasionally used to follow up on quantitative data findings and to assist people
comprehend what the numbers imply. A quantitative study is occasionally used to follow up on
qualitative data findings. A third option is to construct a study that collects and analyzes both
qualitative and quantitative data at the same time. Another method can be used to extend or
triangulate the results of one method. The most common application of quantitative data is to
concentrate investigation on a small number of variables in order to evaluate a specific
hypothesis or research issue. Alternatively, qualitative data is frequently used to begin a study
by illustrating the enormous, interwoven intricacies of a topic. As a result, each sort of data has
advantages and can help researchers better grasp a problem. This happens when the
researcher uses qualitative first as an exploratory method, then quantitative as an explanatory
method, or vice versa.
An ideal research is one which is conducted by considering both the methods together.
Although there are some sectors that require only one style of study, the information requested
by the researcher is the most important factor. Quantitative research is concrete, whereas
qualitative research is interpretive.