Quantitative search and_qualitative_research by mubarak

Research methodology
 Quantitative Research.
 Qualitative Research.
 Survey vs. questionnaire.
 By: MUBARAK AHMED

Quantitative Research
Objective / purpose:
 Aims to achieve an in-depth understanding of a situation / topic /
issue.
 Classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an
attempt to explain what is observed.
 Researcher knows clearly in advance what he/she is looking for.
 Sometimes followed by qualitative research which is used to explore
some findings further.
 Main characteristics are:
 The data is usually gathered using more 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.
 All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is
collected.
 Data are in the form of numbers and statistics.
 Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to
collect numerical data

 Data collection:
 Quantitative data collection involves the use of numbers
to assess information. This information can then be
evaluated using statistical analysis which offers
researchers the opportunity to dig deeper into the data
and look for greater meaning .
 Quantitative → Quantity .
 Deals with numbers.
 Data which can be measured.
 Length, volume, weight, speed, time, temperature,
sound levels, cost, members, ages, etc.
 Common data collection methods :
 Surveys (online, phone, paper)
 Can done via interview also.

 Advantages:
 Quantitative research design is an excellent way of
finalizing results and proving or disproving a
hypothesis.
 After statistical analysis of the results, a
comprehensive answer is reached, and the results
can be discussed and published.
 Quantitative experiments are useful for testing the
results gained by a series of qualitative
experiments, leading to a final answer,

 Disadvantages
 Quantitative experiments can be difficult and
expensive and require a lot of time to perform.
 Quantitative studies usually require extensive
statistical analysis, which can be difficult, due to
fact that most of the researchers know less about
statistics tools and how to use them.
 Quantitative research design also tends to
generate only proved or unproven results.

Qualitative Research
 Qualitative research refers to studies of subjects that are hard to
quantify, such as art history.
 Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects.
 The results of qualitative research are descriptive rather than
predictive.
 The strength of qualitative research is its ability to provide complex
textual descriptions of how people experience a given research
issue.
 It provides information about the “human” side of an issue
,behaviors, beliefs, opinions, emotions, and relationships of
individuals.

Data collection :
 Deals with descriptions.
 Data can be observed but not measured.
 Colors, textures, appearance, beauty, etc.
 Qualitative → Quality
 Common data collection methods :
 The three most common qualitative methods
1- Participant observation: is optimal for collecting data on
naturally occurring behaviors in their usual contexts.
2 - In-depth interview: is optimal for collecting data on
individuals’ personal histories, perspectives, and experiences,
particularly when sensitive topics are being explored.
3 -Focus groups : are effective in extracting data on the
cultural standard of a group and in generating broad overviews
of issues of concern to the cultural groups or subgroups
represented.

 Advantages:
 Qualitative techniques are extremely useful when a
subject is too complex to be answered by a simple
yes or no hypothesis.
 Qualitative research methods are not as dependent
upon sample sizes as quantitative methods; a case
study, for example, can generate meaningful
results with a small sample group.

 Disadvantages
 Qualitative methods still require a lot of careful
thought and planning to ensure that the results
obtained are as accurate as possible.
 Qualitative data cannot be mathematically
analyzed in the same comprehensive way as
quantitative results, so can only give a guide to
general trends.
 It is a lot more open to personal opinion and
judgment, and so can only ever give observations
rather than results.

QUALITATIVE VERSUS QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Criteria Qualitative Research Quantitative Research
Purpose To understand & interpret social
Interactions.
To test hypotheses, look at
cause & effect, & make
predictions.
Group Studied Smaller & not randomly selected. Larger & randomly selected.
Type of Data
Words, images, or objects. Numbers and statistics.
Collected
Form of Data
Collected
Qualitative data such as open-ended
responses, interviews,
participant observations, field
notes.
Quantitative data based on
precise measurements using
structured & validated data-collection
instruments
Type of Data
Analysis
Identify patterns, features,
themes.
Identify statistical
relationships.
Role of
Researcher
Researcher & their biases may
be known to participants in the
study, & participant
characteristics may be known to
the researcher.
Researcher & their biases are
not known to participants in
the study, & participant
characteristics are hidden
from the researcher
Results Particular or specialized findings
that is less generalizable.
Generalizable findings that
can be applied to other
populations.

QUALITATIVE VERSUS QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Criteria Qualitative Research Quantitative Research
Scientific
Method
Exploratory or bottom–up: the
researcher generates a new
hypothesis and theory from the
data collected.
Confirmatory or top-down:
the researcher tests the
hypothesis and theory with
the data.
Most Common
Research
Objectives
Explore, discover, & construct. Describe, explain, & predict.
Nature of
Observation
Study behavior in a natural
environment.
Study behavior under
controlled
conditions; isolate causal
effects.
Final Report Narrative report with description
& direct quotations from research
participants.
Statistical report with
correlations, comparisons of
means, & statistical
significance of findings.

Survey And questionnaire
 Survey:
 Survey is defined as the measure of opinions or experiences
of a group of people /individual through the asking of
questions.
 Questionnaire :
 Questionnaire is defined as a set of printed or written
questions with a choice of answers, devised for the purposes
of a survey or statistical study.
 A questionnaire is a tool to be used for a survey.

Survey And questionnaire
 When conducting a survey your list of questions is
called your questionnaire.
 A survey, on the other hand, encompasses all aspects
of the research process, including research
design, survey construction, sampling method, data
collection, and response analysis.
 Surveys can be carried out in 2 ways:
 1- Questionnaires:
 Researchers give the questionnaires to the candidates
who fill it out and then he collects and analyze it.
 2- Interviews: (personal/ phone)
One on one, searcher asks questionnaires to the
candidate himself.

Surveys advantages and
disadvantages
 Advantages
 The major noticeable advantages of surveys are time saver as
surveys allow to collect a large amount of data in short time.
 Surveys are less expensive than most of the other type of data
collection methods.
 Surveys are allowed to collect data on wide range of things.
 Surveys are flexible ,can easily be combined with other methods
to produce richer data. for instance, you might want to consider
also using diaries, focus groups, or in-depth interviews.
 Disadvantages
 Accuracy, the response given may not reflect the reality.
 Surveys are not so good at explaining why people think or act as
they do .
For example Surveys can tell us how many people behave in a
certain way or how many patients were dissatisfied with their
treatment, but they may be limited in the information they can
provide as to why this is so .

Methods of doing surveys
E-mail survey: (Commonly used in all areas)
Advantages:
 Fast results
 Easy to modify
 Data sets are created in real time
 Inexpensive in most cases
 Large sample size
Disadvantages:
 Honesty of responses can be an issue
 Face to face interviews:
 Advantages:
 Face to face communication- more honest answers
 Subject are more likely to give more accurate and detailed answers (qualitative
data)
 Disadvantages:
 Some people do not like to talk about personal information (prefer to write)
 Time consuming
 Expensive
 Smaller sample size

Methods of doing surveys
Telephone: (mainly businesses) :
Advantages:
Higher response rate .
Higher validity of answer .
Disadvantages:
More time consuming.
Might be expensive (international surveys) .
Might be annoying to the subjects to be contacted on phone .
On-line survey:
Advantages
Very fast results
Used in large scale of industries
Cheap and very efficient
Easy to target certain interest groups (i.e Facebook)
Easy to process the data
Disadvantages:
Difficult to validate the gathered data
Subject might not give complete/ honest answers
Not suitable for people who do not use computers

Quantitative search and_qualitative_research by mubarak

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