GUIMBA EAST DISTRICT

Qualitative
and
Quantitative
Research
Qualitative Research
- relies on verbal narrative like spoken
or written data

Quantitative Research
-uses logical or statistical observations
to draw conclusions.
Qualitative Research
 Qualitative Research (Qual)
• Qualitative research is one which provides
insights and understanding of the problem
setting. It is an unstructured, exploratory
research method that studies highly complex
phenomena that are impossible to elucidate
with the quantitative research. Although, it
generates ideas or hypothesis for later
quantitative research.
 Qualitative Research (Qual)

It is a form of research in
which the researcher gives
more weight to the views
of the participants.
Main Types of Qualitative Research
• Case Study
Attempts to shed light on a phenomena by
studying in depth a single case example of the phenomena.
The case can be an individual person, an event, a group, or an
institution.
• Grounded Theory
Theory is developed inductively from a corpus of
data acquired by a participant-observer.
• Phenomenology
Describes the structures of experience as they
present themselves to consciousness, without recourse to
theory, deduction, or assumptions from other disciplines
Main Types of Qualitative Research
• Ethnography
Focuses on the sociology of meaning
through close field observation of sociocultural
phenomena. Typically, the ethnographer focuses on
a community.
• Historical
Systematic collection and objective
evaluation of data related to past occurrences in
order to test hypotheses concerning causes, effects,
or trends of these events that may help to explain
present events and anticipate future events.
 Strengths
• aims to understand meaning
• interpretation in particular settings,
situations and conditions
• rigorous and systematic data collection
and analysis often concurrently
• data rich in descriptions
• concepts derived from the data itself
 Challenges

• small scale
• non-representative samples
• bias
• access to samples
• time consuming
• record keeping
• data reduction
Quantitative Research
 Quantitative Research (Quan)

• Quantitative research is a form of research

that relies on the methods of natural sciences,
which produces numerical data and hard
facts. It aims at establishing cause and effect
relationship between two variables by using
mathematical, computational and statistical
methods.
 When do Quantitative Research?
• If your study aims to find out the answer
to an inquiry through numerical
evidence, then you should make use of
the Quantitative Research.
• Use qualitative research at the beginning
of a design process to uncover
innovations. Use quantitative research at
the end of a design process to measure
improvement.
 Characteristics of Quantitative
Research
• The data is usually gathered using
structured research instruments.
• The results are based on larger sample
sizes that are representative of the
population.
• The research study can usually be
replicated or repeated, given its high
reliability.
 Characteristics of Quantitative
Research
• Data are in the form of numbers and statistics,
often arranged in tables, charts, figures, or
other non-textual forms.
• Project can be used to generalize concepts
more widely, predict future results, or
investigate causal relationships.
• Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires
or computer software, to collect numerical
data.
 Key Differences
of Qualitative and
Quantitative Research
 Qualitative
Comparison
Qualitative research is a
method of inquiry that
develops understanding on
human and social sciences,
to find the way people
think and feel.
Holistic
Basis for Quantitative
Quantitative research is a
research method that is
Meaning used to generate numerical
data and hard facts, by
employing statistical,
logical and mathematical
technique.
Nature Particularistic

Subjective Approach Objective

Exploratory Research Type Conclusive

 Qualitative Basis for Quantitative
Comparison

Inductive Reasoning Deductive

Purposive Sampling Random

Verbal Data Measurable

Process-oriented Inquiry Result-oriented

 Qualitative Basis for Quantitative
Comparison

Generated Hypothesis Tested

Words, pictures, Elements of Numerical data

objects Analysis

To explore and discover To examine cause and

ideas used in the ongoing
Objective effect relationship
processes. between variables.

Non-structured techniques Structured techniques

like In-depth interviews,
Method such as surveys,
group discussions etc. questionnaires and
Thank you…