Northcentrals Expectation - Research Paper Example

In this paper an attempt has been made to first understand the difference between quantitative research design and qualitative research design, in the light of the guidelines and instructions provided by Northcentral University. This is then followed by outlining the best practices guidelines provided by the university for qualitative research approach. This paper will facilitate the researcher in the process of investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the two different research approaches, the aim or purpose of the both research approaches, and the things which should be kept in consideration while selecting the best research approach for the research project under investigation. Introduction It is important for the researchers to clearly differentiate and distinguish the quantitative research method and qualitative research method. In order to make sure that the research is properly carried out and the stated aim and objectives are fulfilled in effective and efficient manner, it is essential for the researcher to carefully select the research method. For this purpose, the researcher should be able to clearly distinguish the two research methods from each other. The qualitative research method is descriptive as it focus on depth and details, on the other hand quantitative research method is precise as it focus on the quantity. The research designs in the quantitative research method are more formal and use more numbers and statistics. Apart from this the quantitative research designs are designed for the statistical treatment and analysis. On the other hand, the qualitative research method and designs focus more on different informal sources like words, images and other things. This in turn, allow the researcher to get hold of the topic being investigated on more personal level. It is also important to acknowledge here that some researchers often use a mix method approach in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used. As a result, the researcher is able to get more detailed and thorough analysis and findings (Gelo, Braakmann, & Benetka, 2008). Quantitative Research Method The quantitative research method relies heavily on numbers and statistics. The data collected under the quantitative research method is mostly based on the different numerical or quantitative tools and measurements. For this purpose, researchers also take help from different statistical tests. The numbers are interpreted with the help of different mathematical and statistical techniques for example, mean, frequency, z-score test, and many other. In order to increase the generalization of the research study, there should be large amount of information or data. Researchers normally use different well structured questionnaires and surveys in order to gather quantitative data. Along with this the experimental studies are also common in order to identify and establish causal relationship between difference variables. These experiments are either performed in controlled setting or non controlled setting (Creswell, 2007). In order to come up with the problem statement in the quantitative research study it is first essential to identify different variables which includes confounding variables, covariates, mediating variables, dependent variable, independent variable, etc. Along with this in quantitative research study the researcher has to come up with different research questions and the related proposed hypothesis. The researcher should make sure that the research questions and hypothesis are formulated in such a manner that they are aligned with the problem statement of the research study. Hypotheses are only formulated in the quantitative research study or mix method research study. The quantitative research study focuses on exploring the direct relationship between two or more variables with the help of different tests and experiments. For this reason, in quantitative research studies and mix method research studies it is essential for the researcher to present the operational definition of the variables which are being investigated. Apart from this, in quantitative and mix method research studies, the researcher formulates a null hypotheses and alternate hypotheses in order to find answer to every research question (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008). Qualitative Research Method Qualitative research method is mostly used by the researchers who are investigating some social topic or phenomenon. As in this research method the focus is more on the depth of the topic being investigated. Different techniques used by the researcher for collecting data for the qualitative research studies are one to one interviews, participant observation, focus group etc. All these techniques have huge potential for investigating any research topic and in turn facilitate in the process of building theory. As the qualitative research studies are tend to be more complex, the researchers select limited number of participants and target respondents in order to get better hold of the topic being investigated. One of the important elements of the qualitative research approach is the coding of the data. Researcher should be careful while coding the qualitative data (Cozby & Bates, 2012). Qualitative research studies are also known as the descriptive research studies. It is important to acknowledge here that there is no hypothesis formulation and testing in qualitative or descriptive research studies. For this reason, it is also not required to identify and define different variables. The qualitative research study explores a single element, idea, or phenomenon which is transformed into the problem statement. The research questions are formulated according to the concept or idea being investigated and these research questions have be aligned with the problem statement. Apart from this the researcher has to include the qualitative method(s) which will be used in order to explore and answer the research questions (Cooper & Schindler, 2008). Best Practice Suggestions for Qualitative Research Method The qualitative research method is more complicated as compared to the quantitative research method and for this reason the researcher should be more careful while designing and conducting qualitative research studies. The sample size for qualitative research studies is small, owing to its complexities, and hence it is difficult for the researcher to increase the generalization of the test. The researcher should select the qualitative research technique for data collection, keeping in mind the preferences and nature of the target respondents along with the level of sensitivity of the topic. The researcher should follow the following guidelines in order to come up with more reliable and valid qualitative research study: (a) first of all the researcher should come up with a clear research problem for the research study, (b) in the next step the researcher should identify and define the population of the research study and the techniques used for the research, (c) the researcher should try to make sure that the findings of the research study are accurately represented, (d) also the researcher should make sure that there is no distortion in the findings and recommendations (McMilia and Schumacher, 2001) Conclusion It is critical for the researcher to come up with the appropriate research method and design for the research study. As, the success or failure of any research study is directly dependent on the research design and method selected by the researcher. Both, qualitative and quantitative research studies have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, it is believed that mix method research method is more appropriate and beneficial for coming up with more thorough and detailed research study. As mix method research method allows the researcher to explore and analyze the topic under investigation from different perspectives and the validity and generalization of the research study can be increased (Cameron, 2011). References Cameron, R. (2011). Mixed methods in business and management: A call to the ‘first generation’. Journal of Management & Organization, 17, 245-267. Cooper, D. & Schindler, P. (2008).Business Research Methods. New York: McGraw-Hill, p. 710. Cozby, P. & Bates, S. (2012). Methods in Behavioral Research (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Creswell, J. (2007). Research Design. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Gelo, G., Braakmann, D., &Benetka, G. (2008). Quantitative and qualitative research: Beyond the debate. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 42, 266-290. doi: 10.1007/s12124-008-9078-3. McMilan, J. & Schumacher, S. (2001). Research in Education: A Conceptual Introduction. New York: Longman. Trochim, W., & Donnelly, J. (2008).The Research Methods Knowledge Base. Mason, OH: Thomson Custom Publishing. Read More