Nature of Inquiry and

Research
(Practical Research 1)
QUALITATIVE VS. QUANTITATIVE
Review:
What is quality?
What is quantity?
Review:
What is quality?
What is quantity?
LET’S TRY THIS
 Qualitative
It is a primarily exploratory research.
It used to gain an understanding of underlying
reasons, opinions, and motivations.
It provides insight into the problem or helps to
generate ideas and hypotheses for later
quantitative research.
It used to uncover trends in thought and opinions,
and dive deeper into the problem.
 Qualitative
The data collection methods vary using
unstructured or semi-structured techniques.
Some common methods include group discussion,
individual interview, and participation/
observations.
The sample size is typically small, and
respondents are selected to fill a given quota
 Quantitative
 It is used to quantify the problem by way of
generating numerical data or data that can be
transformed into useable statistics.
 It used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors,
and other defined variables and generalize
results from a larger sample population.
 Quantitative
 It is uses measurable data to formulate facts
and uncover patterns in research.
 It’s data collection methods are much more
structured than qualitative data collection
methods
Differences: QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
Purpose To understand To determine the
social empirical relationships
phenomena between variables,
effects and causes
within a given field
Method Holistic inquiry Focused on individual
variables
Context Specific Free (generalization)
Differences: QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
Role of As observer- Detached role of
Researcher participant researcher
Data Ethnographic Structured
Collection observation observation
Technique Ethnographic interview Structured interview
Data are collected Data are collected
without an with an instrument
instrument
Differences: QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
Characteristics Data are expressed Data are expressed
of Data as words as figures
Collected Tabulation of data is Data are tabulated
limited to help and analyzed
identify patterns. statistically
Findings of the Derived from Derived from
Study qualitative statistical tool
strategies employed
employed
Differences: QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
Respondents Requires few Requires many
respondents respondents

Type of Closed (multiple Open-ended questions

question choice) questions