(Example case studies) Analysis of qualitative data is difficult and requires accurate description of participant responses, also data and great care must be taken when doing so, for example; looking for symptoms of mental illness. However the participants are able to provide data in their own words and in their own way also qualities research explores new area of research. It also builds new theories and examines complex questions that can be impossible with qualitative method. On the other hand qualitative researchers cannot carefully look at the detailed structures original difficult natural relations. Quantitative research gathers data in numerical form which can be put into categories, or in rank order, or measured in units of measurement.
Quantitative research is usually used after qualitative data has been gathered and uses that information to construct its own research gathering techniques. The goal of quantitative data is to classify data or to create statistical models for explaining observations (Experiment Resources, 2012). Generally qualitative studies will use researchers as the main tool for gathering data. Researchers in qualitative studies will use interviews and other verbal communication tools to gather data; quantitative research differs from this in that it collects data from questionnaires and surveys to compile information. The distinction is made that in an interview the people involved can clarify and describe answers while, in a survey or questionnaire the participant is constrained to the descriptions provided which will be the same for each person.
Rundell developed the informed decisions toolbox, which facilitates the use of research evidence in decision-making (P 327). Sandra has many unanswered questions
It is used in case studies, when opinions of different persons need to be gathered (Huber & Warring, 2010). Experimentation Experimentation is the method in which evidence of the data is gathered through various sources. It includes the nature of research question This method is used when decisions need to be taken. It is used to gather evidences about the research questions (Groz, & Hierons, 2004). Encoding In this method, researcher translates the information gathered from diversified people into own understandable language.
Qualitative research generates rich, detailed and valid data that contribute to in depth understanding of the context, quantitative researches generate reliable population based and generalised data. A particular strength of quantitative research is that it can be generalised to some extent, a sample that closely relates to a population is chosen. Qualitative researches do not choose samples that are closely related to a population. Quantitative researches allow the researcher to test hypotheses. Qualitative researches are more for exploratory purposes, the researches allow the data to take them on different directions.
The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. They may be prospective or retrospective in which criteria are established for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the study. Another suggestion is that case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context.
Quantitative data is data that is usually in the form of numerical or statistical data while qualitative data is a categorical measurement expressed not in the terms of numbers but rather by a means of a natural language description. One way to acquire quantitative data is surveys while participant and non participant observations , case studies and unstructured interviews to get qualitative data. If the researcher decides to use any of the quantitative research method , they should always consider the size, cost and the purpose of the research whereas with the qualitative, they should take into consideration how they would like to interact with the respondents may it be directly, them knowing that they are being researched on or indirectly, where they don't know and the researcher joins their daily activities pretending to be one of them. A common way of conducting qualitative research is by using a survey and they use usually involve filling in a questionnaire. An advantage of a survey is that you can get lots of data in a relatively short space of time and a disadvantage is that the responses may not always be specific.
The second part of the definition focuses on the “design and data collection” of the case study. It addresses issues such as “data triangulation” aiding the study. Yin outlines the different aspects of a case study and their importance. Therefore, this twofold definition comprises of “the scope and features of a case study”. The CS methodology can be used in many different areas such as Education, Psychology, Sociology, Nursing, etc according to Yin
In the following paragraphs both a quantitative and qualitative research article will be compared and contrasted in relation to the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions in each study. Problem Statement In the quantitative problem statement the author presents the topic, research problem, justification of why the problem should be studied, lack of existing knowledge on the subject, and the audience that will benefit from the problem being researched. The same components are present in the qualitative
Qualitative and quantitative researches differ on three key dimensions. The elements separating the two methods are the type of question asked, the method used to answer it, and how precise the method answers the question. Qualitative research is the preferred method of study for Social and Behavioral Sciences. The methodology for this research uses techniques such as open-end surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and case studies. It is exploratory in nature, assisting to define the study or develop and approach a problem.