Why Choose Qualitative Research over Quantitative Research?
Congratulations on your decision to undertake a research project! You might go either select Qualitative Research or Quantitative Research method for your project. That however depends on what kind of project you are going to handle. Let’s have a look on the two types of research methods.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative Research refers to investigative research. This method is generally used for understanding views and perceptions. It offers visions to different problems and helps in developing concepts or theories for potential quantitative research.
With analysis to look deeper into problems, the qualitative approach helps to discover new thoughts and individual views. This method uses various kinds of unstructured or semi-structured practices for data collection such as group discussions, individual interviews, diary and journal exercises and participation of others. It involves observing gestures, postures and body languages and studying them to identify problems and providing solutions to them.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative approach is used to enumerate the problem through creating numerical data or data which can be converted into useable statistics. The method studies attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables in larger sample population to determine the results. However, it makes use of measurable data to conclude facts and reveal different research patterns.
Quantitative data collection methods follow more structured approach such as surveys (online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and kiosk surveys), online polls, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal studies, website interceptors and systematic observations.
Why Does Qualitative Research Work?
Qualitative research methods originated from various sciences like sociology, anthropology and psychology and are able to deliver excellent results.
• It helps in interaction among respondents, as they depend on the comments, perceptions, views, opinions and ideas of people.
• It involves respondents more than in a structured survey as it uses dynamic processes such as interviews and group discussions.
• The opportunity to probe allows you to determine more than just initial responses and rationales.
• By observation, recording and interpretation of non-verbal communication, it plays an integral role during interviews and discussions.
• It gives you an opportunity to engage respondents in projective techniques.
• It also helps to overcome the self-consciousness that can prevent impulsive reactions and responses.
In The End
Qualitative research method is specifically designed to uncover a target audience’s behavior its connection to a particular topic or issue. It uses in-depth analysis of small groups of people for building theories. The results of qualitative research are not predictive, but descriptive.
Source Link: http://goo.gl/O8tStT
