Comparison

of
Qualitative
Quantitative Research Methods

and

By Bill Varoskovic,
Weighing an object is an example of a quantitative measurement.
When creating a research design, it is important to decide what
methods you are going to use to collect data. There are two main types
of research methods: qualitative and quantitative. Scientists debate on
the effectiveness of each type as a way to record data. By weighing the
pros and cons of qualitative and quantitative research, you can select the
best method for your study.

1. Advantages of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research if often implemented as an exploratory

form of data collection at the start of a research project. A
researcher makes subjective recordings, descriptions or
sketches on what is going on during an observation. Qualitative
data can give the researcher a better idea of what to look more
closely at for later trials. This type of data often contains more
substance than quantitative methods because the researcher
can take into account the experiment`s context or bigger
picture.

Disadvantages of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research methods become less useful during later

portions of a study, especially when trying to test hypotheses.
The data is subjective, meaning it is in the opinion of the
researcher whose judgment could be variable. It is difficult for
someone else to try and duplicate a study based on qualitative
data. For example, a
mixture that is blue to one person might look more like
green to someone else. Trying to explain how the measures
were taken might require more effort than the study itself.

Advantages of Quantitative Research

Quantitative research focuses its attention to numeric qualities that

can be recorded. Weight, size and time are examples of
quantitative measurements. Because they are standardized,
quantitative measurements are objective and can be duplicated
by other researchers. It is best to use quantitative methods in
the latter phases of a research project, when you know exactly
what you hope to find. With quantitative data, you can test your

hypothesis and make general conclusions.

Disadvantages of Quantitative Research

A disadvantage of quantitative methods is that it can be difficult

to provide context within your results. For example, you can
quantify the ticket sales of a movie premiere, but that
information does not help you know if the movie was
good or bad. Quantitative data often feels colder or more
detached than qualitative measures; therefore, while
quantitative data can prove a hypothesis and draw
conclusions, it cannot always give meaning to what is being
examined.