Six Methods, Advantages, and Disadvantages of the Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages Longitudinal studies as well as observational studies are generally used in those places where a lot of time is taken to finally extract useful information. Questionnaire surveys are used for getting quick responses and used for pilot studies as well as feedback processes. Focus groups and Delphi techniques generally use experts as their respondents. All of the above methods have their own benefits and disadvantages. Few limitations of these market research methods have also been discussed which can be further studied and reinvented to form better and more efficient research methods.
Business research is described as an organized and systematic effort which aims to investigate a specific issue or problem which has been encountered during the work setting and requires solving (Seale, 2004). The first stage in a research process is the identification of the critical problem. Once the problem has been clearly defined, the next steps include gathering information, analyzing data and solving the problem by taking necessary steps and corrective measures.
Research methods are of various categories depending on the requirements of the research. These methods use different approaches, tools and techniques for conducting a research. However, they can be divided into two broad categories. Quantitative methods are generally used during development research while participatory or qualitative research is used to get desirable outcomes. Even though these research methods are continuously used in various research questions and studies, yet they are continuously being developed as well as integrated in order to gain better results.
A thin line of difference exists between research methods and research methodology. While research methods talks about specific activities which are created to generate data, research methodology is about the understanding as well as attitude of the researcher towards the strategy and research which is chosen in order to answer the research questions.
A longitudinal study is a type of correlation research involving repeated observations. This type of study can extend for many years and even decades. Here the same participants are studied for a particular period. It is generally used while studying clinical events such as, HIV patients and their diseases and immunity status, across various countries and over time.  It is used in individual studies where participants are studied and tracked. It is also used in household panel studies where people are tracked and observed within their vicinity for collecting data. Longitudinal studies are high in terms of validity. Individuals usually fail to remember previous events and even if they are insisted, they might not remember the correct data. Longitudinal studies are particularly helpful in finding out long term variations or changes. The estimates collected in this study are more efficient compared to cross-sectional studies (Donner & Klar, 1994). However, there are certain limitations associated with longitudinal studies. Gathering results during longitudinal study is very difficult as it is time taking and tedious. More often than not, participants drop out before completion of the survey. This process is known as subject attrition and is very common in a longitudinal study. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More