1. A qualitative method is a method used to measure data collected during the research and/or experimentation of
specific theories and hypotheses. There are several types of qualitative methods and each serve a specific purpose.
Depending upon the researcher's field of study and theory, the researcher may need to use more than one
qualitative method to successfully measure collected data.
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally
in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-
depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method
investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, when. Hence, smaller but focused samples
are more often needed than large samples.
Quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of social phenomena via statistical,
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mathematical or computational techniques. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ
mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is
central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation
and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form
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such as statistics, percentages, etc. In layman's terms, this means that the quantitative researcher asks a specific,
narrow question and collects numerical data from participants to answer the question. The researcher analyzes
the data with the help of statistics. The researcher is hoping the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be
generalized to some larger population. Qualitative research, on the other hand, asks broad questions and collects
word data from participants. The researcher looks for themes and describes the information in themes and
patterns exclusive to that set of participants.
Quantitative methods' are research methods concerned with numbers and anything that is quantifiable.
They are therefore to be distinguished from qualitative methods.
A case study (also known as a case report) is an intensive analysis of an individual unit (e.g., a person,
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group, or event) stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social
sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore
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causation in order to find underlying principles. They may be prospective (in which criteria are established and
cases fitting the criteria are included as they become available) or retrospective (in which criteria are established
for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the study).
Survey research is one of the most important areas of measurement in applied social research. The broad
area of survey research encompasses any measurement procedures that involve asking questions of respondents.
A "survey" can be anything form a short paper-and-pencil feedback form to an intensive one-on-one in-depth
interview.
survey research is often used to assess thoughts, opinions, and feelings.[1] Survey research can
be specific and limited, or it can have more global, widespread goals. Today, survey research is used by a
variety of different groups. Psychologists and sociologists often use survey research to analyze behavior,
while it is also used to meet the more pragmatic needs of the media, such as, in evaluating political
candidates, public health officials, professional organizations, and advertising and marketing directors. A
survey consists of a predetermined set of questions that is given to a sample.[2] With a representative
sample, that is, one that is representative of the larger population of interest, one can describe the
attitudes of the population from which the sample was drawn. Further, one can compare the attitudes
of different populations as well as look for changes in attitudes over time. A good sample selection is key
as it allows one to generalize the findings from the sample to the population, which is the whole
purpose of survey research.
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of
data.[1][2] It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the
design of surveys and experiments.[1]