Quantitative and Qualitative

Research Approaches
Ruhma Bint-e-Shahzad
Introduction to Research
and Research Approaches
 What is Research?

• The systematic investigation into and

study of materials and sources in
order to establish facts and reach new
conclusions. (dictionary)
• Research is a systematic process of
studying a subject to discover new
information or facts. It can also
involve using existing knowledge in
new ways to create new concepts and
understandings. (western Sydney
university and Hampshire college)
 What is Research?

• According to P.M. Cook :

“Research is an honest, exhaustive,
intelligent searching for facts and
their meanings or implications with
reference to a given problem. The
product or findings of a given piece
of research should be an authentic,
verifiable and contribution to
knowledge in the field studied.”
Why is Research Important
Drives
progress &
innovation

Improves Solve
understanding complex
of the world problem

Make Challenge
informed existing
decisions assumption

Expand
knowledge
base
Research Approaches

Exploratory • How
Descriptive • What, Who, Where, How much

Explanatory • Why
 Research Approaches
Exploratory research Descriptive research Explanatory research
• Used to explore new topics or• Used to describe the • Used to explain why a
issues that haven't been characteristics of a topic or phenomenon occurs, and to
studied in depth subject establish cause-and-effect
• Used to formulate problems, • Involves collecting, analyzing, relationships
clarify concepts, and create and presenting feedback from• Used when there is limited
hypotheses people who are familiar with information about a topic
• Often involves qualitative the topic • Involves collecting data
data collection methods like • Can be used to outline the through surveys, interviews,
focus groups, case studies, or issue or describe the current experiments, or observation
literature searches state of a subject • Used to test new theories and
• Researchers often look for • Can take the form of case predict future occurrences
people who are reports, case series, cross-
knowledgeable/ experienced sectional studies, or
about the topic ecological studies
Research Approaches
Research Methods: Qualitative and
Quantitative

Mix
Method

Research
Methods

Qualitative Quantitative
Quantitative and Qualitative Research

• Qualitative research is used to gain an understanding of human behaviour,

intentions, attitudes, experience, etc., based on the observation and
interpretation of people. It is an unstructured and exploratory technique that
deals with highly complex phenomena. This kind of research is usually done to
understand the topic in-depth.
• Quantitative research method relies on the methods of natural sciences, which
develops hard facts and numerical data. It establishes the cause-and-effect
relationship between two variables using different computational, and
statistical methods. As the results are accurately and precisely measured, this
research method is also termed as “Empirical Research”. This type of research
is generally used to establish generalized facts about a particular topic.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
RESEARCH TYPE Qualitative Research Quantitative Research
PURPOSE A method for developing a better understanding of It is the method used to generate numerical data by
human and social sciences, in understanding using a lot of techniques such as logical, statistical and
human behaviour and personalities better mathematical techniques
APPROACH It employs a subjective approach It employs an objective approach
EXPRESSION It is generally expressed using words It is expressed using graphs and numbers
QUESTIONS It has open-ended questions It has multiple choice questions
SAMPLE SIZE Qualitative research needs only a few respondents Quantitative research requires many respondents
DATA COLLECTION The data collection methods involved are The data collection methods involved are experiments,
METHODS interviews, focus groups, literature review, surveys, and observations expressed in numbers
ethnography
NATURE Qualitative research is holistic in nature Quantitative Research is particularistic in nature
DATA SYNTHESIS The reasoning used to synthesise data in this The reasoning used to synthesise data in this research
research is inductive is deductive
INQUIRY METHODS This method involves a process-oriented inquiry This method does not involve a process-oriented
and develops the initial understanding of data inquiry and recommends a final course of action
HYPOTHESIS AND Qualitative research helps in building the Quantitative research focuses on testing the
THEORY hypothesis and theory hypothesis and theory
DATA TYPE The data taken in the Qualitative research method The data taken in this method is pretty measurable
is pretty verbal
OBJECTIVE The objective of this research method is to engage The main objective of Quantitative research is to
and discover various ideas examine the cause and effect between the variables
RESEARCH It is one of the exploratory research methods It is a conclusive research method
METHODS
Mixed Methods
• Mixed methods research combines elements of quantitative
research and qualitative research in order to answer your research
question. Mixed methods can help you gain a more complete picture
than a standalone quantitative or qualitative study, as it integrates
benefits of both methods.
• To what extent does the frequency of foodborne illness cases
(quantitative) reflect consumer perceptions of restaurant hygiene
and food safety (qualitative)?
• How do students' perceptions of their school meal quality
(qualitative) relate to differences in their nutritional intake and
academic performance (quantitative)?
Philosophical Grounds:

Positivism and Post-Positivism

Positivism

• Positivism is a philosophy that the scientific method can and should be

applied to social as well as natural sciences. Essentially, positivist
thinking insists that the social sciences should use natural science
methods in its research which stems from positivist ontology that there
is an objective reality that exists that is fully independent of our
perception of the world as individuals.
• Based on the idea that reality is objective and can be observed and measured
using scientific methods.
• Assumes a single, objective reality exists.
• Focuses on the existence or non-existence of phenomenon
• Reality is out there to be observed for everyone
• Researcher aims to be completely detached from the study.
Post-Positivism

• Post-positivists argue that social reality can never be one hundred

percent explained but it could be approximated. It insists that
there are “fundamental limits to the extent to which the methods
and procedures of the natural sciences could be applied to the
social world”
• Acknowledges that complete objectivity is impossible due to researcher
bias.
• Emphasizes the importance of context and multiple perspectives
Constructivism

• Constructivism is a subcategory of post-positivism. Most

researchers invested in postpositivist research are constructivist
as well, meaning they think there is no objective external reality
that exists but rather that reality is constructed. “Constructivism
contends that individuals’ views are directly influenced by their
experiences, and it is these individual experiences and views that
shape their perspective of reality”.
• Believes that there is not necessarily an ‘objective’ reality we all
experience.
• Believes that knowledge is actively constructed by individuals through
interaction with their environment.
• Focuses on understanding the meaning individuals ascribe to experiences
 Study Designs

Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional

Study Design

Longitudinal Cross sectional

• Collects data from the same • Collects data from a population at
individuals over time. a single point in time.
• Repeated samples • Single sample
• Detects changes that might occur • Measures outcomes and exposures
over a period of time at the same time.
• Can establish sequences of events • Provides a snapshot of a program's
effects at a specific point in time
• Can capture the lasting effects of a
program • Can be used to understand the
current reach of a program and
• Can reveal a program's true impact identify target populations.
on a community
Qualitative
designs
Quantitative Designs
Sampling Methods

• Sampling is a method that allows researchers to infer information

about a population based on results from a subset of the
population, without having to investigate every individual.
• When you conduct research about a group of people, it’s rarely
possible to collect data from every person in that group. Instead,
you select a sample. The sample is the group of individuals who
will actually participate in the research.
• To draw valid conclusions from your results, you have to carefully
decide how you will select a sample that is representative of the
group as a whole. This is called a sampling method.
Data Collection Methods
Quantitative Data Collection Methods

Survey

Structured interviews

Quantitative observation

Standardised tests

Experiments
THANK YOU