I’ve recently seen two almost identical charts explaining the difference between<\/p>\n
qualitative and quantitative research. One was shown at a conference, the other<\/p>\n
presented in a graduate level methods textbook. I didn’t save the charts, unfortunately,<\/p>\n
but this is how I recall them. (Similar charts can be found on the Web, e.g.,<\/p>\n
here<\/a><\/p>\n and or at the bottom of this<\/p>\n page<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
quantitative<\/strong><\/td>\n| qualitative<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | detached<\/td>\n | engaged<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | value-neutral<\/td>\n | partial\/committed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | claims objectivity<\/td>\n | admits subjectivity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | seeks general findings<\/td>\n | denies that general rules apply in cases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | describes the mean<\/td>\n | looks for exceptions, complications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | pulls factors out of context<\/td>\n | describes situations holistically<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | assumes certainty<\/td>\n | presumes uncertainty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | distinguishes causes from effects<\/td>\n | does not presume to isolate causes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n | I think this is a very misleading way to draw the distinction. Quantitative<\/p>\n research means mathematical analysis; qualitative research means descriptions<\/p>\n in words. The use of math requires quantification and a large enough sample<\/p>\n to generate statistically meaningful results. The use of descriptive language<\/p>\n requires enough detail about cases to generate insightful narratives or portraits.<\/p>\n Both approaches are useful. Neither method implies positivism (a strict distinction<\/p>\n between facts and values, or between facts and opinions), nor does either method<\/p>\n imply skepticism or postmodernism. One can use quantitative methods–such as<\/p>\n surveys and statistical analysis of the results–in a deeply engaged, critical,<\/p>\n "political" way, without any illusions that one is objective. Or one<\/p>\n can use qualitative methods–such as in-depth interviews–in a highly "positivistic"<\/p>\n spirit (thinking that one has no values or biases and no axes to grind). Charts<\/p>\n like the one above appeal to very general beliefs (or prejudices) about epistemology<\/p>\n and drive us to favor either quantitative or qualitative methods. Instead, I<\/p>\n think we should simply ask what can usefully be counted in particular cases,<\/p>\n and what cannot.<\/p>\n <\/body><\/p>\n <\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve recently seen two almost identical charts explaining the difference between qualitative and quantitative research. One was shown at a conference, the other presented in a graduate level methods textbook. I didn’t save the charts, unfortunately, but this is how I recall them. (Similar charts can be found on the Web, e.g., here and or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4366\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} |