General Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies - Essay Example

Harris Kamran Sociology 22 February 2008 Social Research Introduction: social research is a process whereby scientists and researchers from many different fields of sociology and social sciences gather together information and data for research purposes, and to help understand life and its activities better in the light of current and popular perceptions. As different scientists and experts have different approach toward society, and there viewpoints as to how the society works differs considerably, the methods of data collection naturally differs, too. This results in a subsequent difference in the nature of the collected data, and, hence, the results of the research. Therefore, it can be seen that the methodologies of social research have a profound effect on the theories and inferences later formulated. This paper evaluates the differences in the two broad categories of data collection approaches, quantitative and qualitative, and discusses how using them together might benefit social research. Quantitative Method: the method of data collection that is more popular and deemed more reliable as compared to other methods in scientific circles is that of quantitative collection and evaluation of social data (Social Research Methods 2006). As the name suggests, it is concerned with quantifying (Wikipedia 2008) the information that has to be collected. In this method, the pertinent social issue is regarded as distinct from the society and the premises in which it is originally carried out (Wikipedia 2008), the positivist technique, (Wikipedia 2008) and viewed as a problem complete unto itself that is unaffected by its environment. Consequently, the variables (Weinreich Communications 2006)_ that is, the factors that exist outside of the problem-system that might have a role to play in the issue_ to be considered are lessened quite significantly (Wikipedia 2008), and the issue is dealt with more like a closed system. For the same purpose, the researcher is required to be objective (Weinreich Communications 2006), meaning that his or her own experiences, thoughts or affiliations should not interfere with the way the problem is viewed and handled. As the purpose is to quantify the information, a large amount of data is required to be collected, meaning that the number of cases are quite large whereas the variables considered are less (Wikipedia 2008). This, combined with the fact that the researcher is supposed to be objective makes this method of data collection very reliable (Lecture Notes 2007), as the same results can be produced over and over again regardless of the place of study or the person conducting the research (Weinreich Communications 2006). A large amount of data and theories worked out, henceforth, means that the approach is deductive (Lecture Notes 2007), as a general concept is worked out from specific nature of data. In fact, quantitative method is extremely apt at and useful for generalisations, and it is for this reason that it is widely used as a tool in policy and decision making practices (Social Research Methods 2006). Another reason for this is that the ontology for this method is realist; it concentrates on developing universal laws and principles (Lecture Notes 2007) based heavily on numeric (Lecture Notes 2007) and scientific data that is collected systematically and is processed in a way that it becomes scientifically reliable and viable for realist approach. The different methods of data collection include, among others, structured interviews, surveys and questionnaires (Lecture Notes 2007). Qualitative Method: on the contrary, the method of qualitative data collection is not very popular among researchers, because it requires a lot of intensive hard work, manpower and funding, and the results worked out are not very viable to be used instantly in decision making policies (Social Research Methods 2006). That is not to say that it is not a sound research methodology. On the contrary. Many researchers rely on the qualitative approach to collect data, such as Studs Terkel (Social Research Methods 2006), and both the methods have their usage in research. In this approach, the issue at hand is viewed as an integral part of society, and any study done by the researcher is thought to influence the case (Wikipedia 2008). The number of cases over which study is carried out is relatively much smaller, but the variables are increased greatly (Wikipedia 2008), since the issue is regarded as an open-system with outside variables affecting its construction and the researcher being a part of it_ the interpretivist technique (Wikipedia 2008) . This leads to a much greater in-depth understanding of the cases, with the researcher being subjective (Lecture Notes 2007); his thoughts, experiences and impressions of the case have a marked effect on the study. This means that exactly the same results can not be produced each time the theories are tested, and, hence, it is often viewed as not very reliable (Social Research Methods 2006) . Also, the approach here is inductive (Lecture Notes 2007) , as specific concepts and theories are worked out from general observations. The ontology is idealist; this method is concerned with understanding the underlying causes of the issue (Lecture Notes 2007), and how and why people view it and deal with it (Wikipedia 2008) . Hence, a lot of raw data (Social Research Methods 2006) is collected which can form the basis for numerous theories and ideas, much more than can be generated from quantitative approach where the scope of research is limited by the planned and objective nature of the study (Social Research Methods 2006). To collect this data, the methods include experience, observation, focus groups (Weinreich Communications 2006) and unstructured interviews (Lecture Notes 2007). Integration Advantages: although both the methods discussed above vary greatly in their functions and scopes, researchers are increasingly becoming interested in integrating both methods in order to achieve the best results that both have to offer (Wikipedia 2008). This can be done in several ways, and this approach toward social research has many advantages. Keeping in mind the theoretical nature of qualitative approach, it can be used to collect the initial data and to study the premises that form the basis of the pertinent issue (Weinreich Communications 2006). Once the initial, or raw, data (Social Research Methods 2006) is collected, it can be refined by forming questionnaires or surveys based on it through quantitative methods (Wikipedia 2008) to further collect specific and designed information to achieve pre-categorized information (Social Research Methods 2006). The focus groups of qualitative method are a very good way to start data collection and provide helpful information to formulate the surveys on (Wikipedia 2008). Similarly, initially the inductive approach can be used to work out a hypothesis that can be tested and refined through the application of the deductive approach of quantitative method (Wikipedia 2008). This helps in generalising data that can otherwise prove to be very tough to generalize (Social Research Methods 2006). Basically, qualitative method serves as a theory formulation tool and quantitative method as the theory testing tool, a process known as facilitation (Lecture Notes 2007). Furthermore, based on the idealist approach of the former, it can be used to describe, explain and understand the realist, numeric data collected through the latter method so that a complete picture of the social agency can be worked out (Weinriech Communications 2006), and a greater and fuller analysis of the case is carried out. Lastly, both the methods can be used simultaneously and separately to achieve the same conclusion in order to validate the research and its findings (Weinreich Communications 2006). These advantages of integrated, or comparative, research (Wikipedia research are increasingly used by researchers to acquire a better and broader understanding of the social phenomena. Bibliography 2006. Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Social Marketing Research. [Online]. Weinreich Communications. Available: http://www.social-marketing.com/research.html. [22 February 2008]. 2007. A Critical Framework. (Provided). 2007. Lecture Notes. Social Research (Provided). 20 October 2006. Qualitative Measures. [Online]. Social Research Methods. Available: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qual.php. [22 February 2008]. 2 February 2008. Social Research. [Online]. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_research. [22 February 2008]. 17 February 2008. Quantitative Research. [Online]. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_method. [22 February 2008]. 20 February 2008. Qualitative Research. [Online]. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_method. [22 February 2008]. Read More