What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research?
Respond to your peer post below. Post should be scholarly written, APA formatted 7th edition. Minimum of 2 references.
There are primarily two different types of research: quantitative and qualitative. To put it simply, quantitative research provides objective numerical data while qualitative research focuses on subjective, observable data that is not easily measured (Chalmers & Cowdell, 2021). There are differing types of quantitative research that seek to gain measurable data using controls and variables or through describing ideas and relationships (Gray & Grove, 2021). The types of quantitative include descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental research (Gray & Grove, 2021).
Descriptive and correlational research are referred to as noninterventional while quasi-experimental and experimental research are interventional (Gray & Grove, 2021). According to Gray & Grove (2021), descriptive research “is the exploration and description of phenomena in real-life situations” (p. 47). Correlational research is similar; it investigates the relationship between variables (Gray & Grove, 2021). Quasi-experimental research studies cause-and-effect relationships and experimental research is a highly controlled version of quasi-experimental research (Gray & Grove, 2021).
Qualitative research is very different. Qualitative research “provides in-depth insights and understanding and real-world issues” (Chalmers & Cowdell, 2021, p. 47). Qualitative research is typically conducted via interviews, focus groups, or observation which makes it subjective (Chalmers & Cowdell, 2021). Because of this, qualitative research is subject to influence by the researcher’s biases and preconceived ideas (Chalmers & Cowdell, 2021). As with quantitative research, there are different methods of qualitative research. Phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographical, and exploratory-descriptive research fall under the qualitative method umbrella (Gray & Grove, 2021). Despite these differences, all forms of research must be rigorous. A study would be considered “rigorous” if it encompasses precision, consistency, and transparency (Gray & Grove, 2021). Rigor ensures that the study is replicable so that its findings can be validated by similarly conducted research. Additionally, quantitative and qualitative methods can be combined within the same study, thus making it a “mixed method” study (Chalmers & Cowdell, 2021).
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