What is the major difference between qualitative and quantitative concepts?
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While quantitative research is based on numbers and mathematical calculations (aka quantitative data), qualitative research is based on written or spoken narratives (or qualitative data). Qualitative and quantitative research techniques are used in marketing, sociology, psychology, public health and various other disciplines. Show
Comparison chartQualitative versus Quantitative comparison chartQualitativeQuantitativePurposeThe purpose is to explain and gain insight and understanding of phenomena through intensive collection of narrative data Generate hypothesis to be test , inductive.The purpose is to explain, predict, and/or control phenomena through focused collection of numerical data. Test hypotheses, deductive.Approach to Inquirysubjective, holistic, process- orientedObjective, focused, outcome- orientedHypothesesTentative, evolving, based on particular studySpecific, testable, stated prior to particular studyResearch SettingControlled setting not as importantControlled to the degree possibleSamplingPurposive: Intent to select “small, ” not necessarily representative, sample in order to get in-depth understandingRandom: Intent to select “large, ” representative sample in order to generalize results to a populationMeasurementNon-standardized, narrative (written word), ongoingStandardized, numerical (measurements, numbers), at the endDesign and MethodFlexible, specified only in general terms in advance of study Nonintervention, minimal disturbance All Descriptive— History, Biography, Ethnography, Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, Case Study, (hybrids of these) Consider many variable, small groupStructured, inflexible, specified in detail in advance of study Intervention, manipulation, and control Descriptive Correlation Causal-Comparative Experimental Consider few variables, large groupData Collection StrategiesDocument and artifact (something observed) that is collection (participant, non-participant). Interviews/Focus Groups (un-/structured, in-/formal). Administration of questionnaires (open ended). Taking of extensive, detailed field notes.Observations (non-participant). Interviews and Focus Groups (semi-structured, formal). Administration of tests and questionnaires (close ended).Data AnalysisRaw data are in words. Essentially ongoing, involves using the observations/comments to come to a conclusion.Raw data are numbers Performed at end of study, involves statistics (using numbers to come to conclusions).Data InterpretationConclusions are tentative (conclusions can change), reviewed on an ongoing basis, conclusions are generalizations. The validity of the inferences/generalizations are the reader’s responsibility.Conclusions and generalizations formulated at end of study, stated with predetermined degree of certainty. Inferences/generalizations are the researcher’s responsibility. Never 100% certain of our findings.Type of dataQualitative research gathers data that is free-form and non-numerical, such as diaries, open-ended questionnaires, interviews and observations that are not coded using a numerical system. On the other hand, quantitative research gathers data that can be coded in a numerical form. Examples of quantitative research include experiments or interviews/questionnaires that used closed questions or rating scales to collect information. Applications of Quantitative and Qualitative DataQualitative data and research is used to study individual cases and to find out how people think or feel in detail. It is a major feature of case studies. Quantitative data and research is used to study trends across large groups in a precise way. Examples include clinical trials or censuses. When to use qualitative vs. quantitative research?Quantitative and qualitative research techniques are each suitable in specific scenarios. For example, quantitative research has the advantage of scale. It allows for vast amounts of data to be collected -- and analyzed -- from a large number of people or sources. Qualitative research, on the other hand, usually does not scale as well. It is hard, for example, to conduct in-depth interviews with thousands of people or to analyze their responses to open-ended questions. But it is relatively easier to analyze survey responses from thousands of people if the questions are closed-ended and responses can be mathematically encoded in, say, rating scales or preference ranks. Conversely, qualitative research shines when it is not possible to come up with closed-ended questions. For example, marketers often use focus groups of potential customers to try and gauge what influences brand perception, product purchase decisions, feelings and emotions. In such cases, researchers are usually at very early stages of forming their hypotheses and do not want to limit themselves to their initial understanding. Qualitative research often opens up new options and ideas that quantitative research cannot due to its closed-ended nature. Analysis of dataQualitative data can be difficult to analyze, especially at scale, as it cannot be reduced to numbers or used in calculations. Responses may be sorted into themes, and require an expert to analyze. Different researchers may draw different conclusions from the same qualitative material. Quantitative data can be ranked or put into graphs and tables to make it easier to analyze. Data ExplosionData is being generated at an increasing rate because of the expansion in the number of computing devices and the growth of the Internet. Most of this data is quantitative and special tools and techniques are evolving to analyze this "big data". Effects of FeedbackThe following diagram illustrates the effects of positive and negative feedback on Qualitative vs Quantitative research: What is the main difference between quantitative and qualitative?Key takeaways:
Quantitative data refers to any information that can be quantified, counted or measured, and given a numerical value. Qualitative data is descriptive in nature, expressed in terms of language rather than numerical values.
What is qualitative and quantitative concept?Quantitative data are measures of values or counts and are expressed as numbers. Quantitative data are data about numeric variables (e.g. how many; how much; or how often). Qualitative data are measures of 'types' and may be represented by a name, symbol, or a number code.
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative example?Quantitative data is fixed and “universal,” while qualitative data is subjective and dynamic. For example, if something weighs 20 kilograms, that can be considered an objective fact. However, two people may have very different qualitative accounts of how they experience a particular event.
What is the major difference between qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis?Generally speaking, quantitative analysis involves looking at the hard data, the actual numbers. Qualitative analysis is less tangible. It concerns subjective characteristics and opinions – things that cannot be expressed as a number. Here's a closer look at aspects of both and how they are used.
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