Mixed Method Qualitative, Quantitative, Mixed Methodologies Quantitative,

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Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methodologies

Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodology research

Quantitative methodologies tend to be data-driven in nature. The presumption of the correct 'way of knowing' in quantitative research is positivistic in nature. It is assumed there is an objective, concrete truth that can be learned through empirical observation and the careful construction of an experiment. Quantitative methods of research often use the scientific method or quasi-scientific methods of study design. The researcher has a clear idea of the phenomenon he or she is attempting to study. The researcher's primary tools include questionnaires, objective measurements and other methods of gathering statistical results. Often there is a control group to see if the results are statistically significant in nature. The study is carefully designed before the research takes place to isolate specific variables of inquiry and its focus of study is narrow, rather than broad. The types of knowledge it gathers tend to be in the form of facts and figures, and it seeks to confirm or disprove a particular hypothesis (Nichol 2007).

In contrast, qualitative research makes use of data such as interviews and observations, which cannot be easily quantified. Ethnographies, participant-research, and anthropological studies are all forms of qualitative research. The objective of the study tends to be extremely broad in nature, rather than narrow (Nichol 2007). It is focused upon gathering information and studying a particular phenomenon, rather than generating an answer to a singular research question. The observer may be intimately involved in the community he or she is studying. There is a great deal of allowance for idiosyncrasies, and the information may not yield a consistent thesis about the subject. Contradictions are presented side-by-side, rather than viewed as potential problems with an original hypothesis. There is an assumption that there is no singular, linear 'truth' to any particular situation, but rather multiple levels of meaning. Qualitative research also usually takes place in the 'real world.' By observing actual phenomenon, even if the environment and variables are not perfectly controlled, qualitative research seeks to answer why a phenomenon is occurring, not simply describe it. "By allowing theories to form through what people say and do, qualitative research cannot be easily accused of imposing its theories upon people. Equally by keeping detailed records of what is said and of what happens qualitative research does not reduce the complexity of social life to easily manipulated equations" (Schostak n.d.).

However, mixed methodology research sees problems in both approaches. "Quantitative research often 'forces' responses or people into categories that might not 'fit' in order to make meaning. Qualitative research, on the other hand, sometimes focuses too closely on individual results and fails to make connections to larger situations or possible causes of the results. Rather than discounting either approach for its drawbacks, though, researchers should find the most effective ways to incorporate elements of both to ensure that their studies are as accurate and thorough as possible" (The qualitative vs. quantitative debate, 2012, Writing at CSU). For example, on a very basic level, a quantitative research study can include selected interviews with some of the participants to contextualize the data. A qualitative study can conduct an analysis of numbers-related data of the participants, such as income level, grades, data related to health status (such as weight, cholesterol levels, number of children) pertinent to the ethnography. Mixed methodologies discount there is an either/or dichotomy between the two methods of research and seeks to combine the best of both approaches.