Quarter 1 - Module 2:
KINDS OF RESEARCH: QUANTITATIVE VERSUS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
There are two categories of research methodology:
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH - is a positivist scientific method which refers to a general set of orderly discipline
procedures to acquire information (Beck, 2004). Mostly, it is concerned with numbers and measurement.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - is defined as the “naturalistic method of research which deals with the concern of
human difficulty by discovering it straightly.” (Beck, 2004) It is concerned with the experiences, understanding
and words of the individual.
Qualitative Research and Its Importance in Daily Life
THE VALUE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: ITS KINDS, CHARACTERISTICS, USES, STRENGTHS, AND WEAKNESSES
BEFORE WE PROCEED TO THE NEXT LESSON, let us recall the concepts you have learned about definition of
research, importance of research in daily life, and characteristics, processes, and ethics of research.
Kinds of Qualitative Research
Below are the kinds of qualitative research that you may venture on. Your choice of conducting a qualitative
research study depends on your interest, on the issues and concerns need to be addressed in the community,
and on your curiosity as an individual.
Phenomenology
It is the study of how people give meaning to their experiences, like the death of loved ones, care for the
people, and friendliness of the people.
Ethnography
It is understanding of how a particular cultural group goes about their daily lives which includes their
organizational set-up, internal operations, and lifestyle.
Grounded theory
This occurs when a researcher discovers a new theory based on the data collected. It is a research
methodology for discovering theory in a substantive area.
Case study
This study involves an investigation of a person, group, organization, or situation for a long period of time to
explain why such things occur to the subject under study.
Some examples of this type of study are the fields of social care, nursing, psychology, rehabilitation
centers, education, etc.
Content and Discourse Analysis
This method requires the examination or analysis of the substance or content of the communication that takes
place through letters, books, journals, photos, video recordings, short message services, online messages,
emails, audio-visual materials, etc.
Historical Analysis
This is the study of primary documents to explain the connection of past events to the present time. An
example of this is explaining the happenings during the Marcos regime.
Characteristics and Uses of Qualitative Research
∙ Qualitative research takes place in a natural setting like home, school, institution, or community.
Researchers gain actual experiences of the research participants.
∙ It focuses on participants’ perceptions and experiences (Franenkel and Wallen, 1988 in Creswell, 2013)
∙ Researchers are sensitive to participants’ needs and participants are actively engaged in the process.
∙ Data are collected through observation, interviews, documents, e-mails, blogs, videos, etc.
∙ It may result in changes in research questions after new discoveries occur. ∙ It develops from a specific to a
general understanding of concepts.
∙ It is a process of describing a situation, analyzing data for themes or categories, and making interpretations
or drawing conclusions.
∙ It may be subjected to the researcher’s personal interpretation.
∙ The researchers, as a primary instrument in data collection, view social phenomena and situations
holistically.
Strengths of Qualitative Research
1. Issues can be analyzed through detailed and deep examination.
2. Interviews are not being delimited to specific questions and can be guided/redirected
by the researcher along the process.
3. The research framework and direction can be easily revised as new information
emerges.
4. The obtained data from human experience is powerful and sometimes more interesting
than quantitative data.
5. Data usually are collected from a few cases or individuals so findings cannot be
generalized to a larger population. Findings can however be transferable to another
setting.
Weaknesses of Qualitative Research
1. Research quality is heavily dependent on the researcher’s skills and may be influenced by the researcher's
outlooks.
2. The volume of data makes analysis and interpretation time-consuming.
3. It is sometimes hard to prove.
4. The researcher's presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable in qualitative research, can
affect the subjects' attitudes towards the process. 5. Issues of anonymity and confidentiality can bring/result in
problems when presenting findings. 6. Findings can be more difficult and take time to visualize.
Importance of Qualitative Research across Different Fields
[Link] Research in Education
[Link] Research in Technical Communication
[Link] Research in Psychology
[Link] Research in Advertising
[Link] Research in Social Work
[Link] Research in Marketing
7. Qualitative Research in International Business