This document differentiates between qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research relies on non-numerical personal accounts and observations to understand how people think, while quantitative research uses measurable data and statistical analysis to test relationships. Some key differences are that qualitative research uses interviews, documents and observations to collect open-ended data, while quantitative relies on experiments, surveys and databases to collect standardized data suitable for numerical analysis. Both approaches have benefits and limitations for addressing different types of research questions.

1. Differentiates Quantitative
from Qualitative Research

2. There are two distinct types of data
collection and study: qualitative and
quantitative. Although both provide an
analysis of data, they differ in their approach
and the type of data they collect. Awareness
of these approaches can help researchers
construct their study and data collection
methods.

3. What Is the Difference Between
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research?
Because qualitative and quantitative studies
collect different types of data, their data collection
methods differ considerably. Quantitative studies
rely on numerical or measurable data. In contrast,
qualitative studies rely on personal accounts or
documents that illustrate in detail how people think
or respond within society.

4. Qualitative research methods include gathering
and interpreting non-numerical data.
The following are some sources of qualitative data1:
Interviews
Focus groups
Documents
Personal accounts or papers
Cultural records
Observation

5. In the course of a qualitative study, the researcher may
conduct interviews or focus groups to collect data that is not
available in existing documents or records.
To allow freedom for varied or unexpected answers, interviews
and focus groups may be unstructured or semi-structured.
An unstructured or semi-structured format allows the
researcher to pose open-ended questions and follow wherever
the responses lead. The responses provide a comprehensive
perspective on each individual’s experiences, which are the
compared with those of other participants in the study.

6. Quantitative studies, in contrast, require different data
collection methods. These methods include compiling
numerical data to test causal relationships among variables.
Some forms of data collection for this type of study include1:
Experiments
Questionnaires
Surveys
Database reports

7. The above collection methods yield
data that lends itself to numerical
analysis. Questionnaires in this
case have a multiple-choice format
to generate countable answers,such
as “yes” or “no,” which can be turned
into quantifiable data.

8. Qualitative vs. Quantitative Outcomes
One of the factors distinguishing qualitative from quantitative
studies is the nature of the intended outcome. Qualitative
researchers seek to learn from details of the testimonies of those
they are studying. Over the course of a study, conclusions are
drawn by compiling, comparing and evaluating the participants’
feedback and input. Qualitative research is often focused on
answering the “why” behind a phenomenon, correlation or
behavior.

9. In contrast, quantitative data are analyzed numerically to
develop a statistical picture of a trend or connection. Such
statistical results may shed light on cause-and-effect
relationships, and they may either confirm or disprove the study’s
original hypothesis. Whether positive or negative, the outcome
can enrich understanding of a subject and spark action.
Quantitative research is often focused on answering the
questions of “what” or “how” in regards to a phenomenon,
correlation or behavior.

10. Benefits and Limitations of Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Research
Another difference between qualitative and quantitative
research lies in their advantages and limitations. Each form of
research has benefits and shortcomings. Researchers must
consider their hypotheses and what forms of data collection and
analysis are likely to produce the most relevant findings.

11. Benefits of Qualitative Research
There are some significant benefits of qualitative research that
should be considered when evaluating the difference between
qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative method
allows for creativity, varied interpretations and flexibility. The
scope of the research project can change as more information is
gathered.

12. Limitations of Qualitative Research
Qualitative studies are more subjective in their results and
interpretation than are quantitative studies. The expertise and
perspective of the researcher may strongly influence the
interpretation of results and the conclusions reached, because
personal bias can be hard to manage. In addition, qualitative
studies often test a smaller sample size due to the costs and
efforts associated with qualitative data collection methods.

13. Benefits of Quantitative Research
The similarities of qualitative and quantitative
research do not encompass their respective benefits,
because each approach has unique advantages. For
example, unlike qualitative studies, quantitative studies
produce objective data, and their results can be clearly
communicated through statistics and numbers.
Quantitative studies can be quickly analyzed with the
benefit of data computing software.

14. Limitations of Quantitative Research
Yet, although objectivity is a benefit of the
quantitative method, this approach can be
viewed as a more restrictive form of study.
Participants cannot tailor their responses or add
context. Furthermore, statistical analysis
requires a large data sample, which calls for a
large pool of participants.

15. How To Analyze Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data
Another of the similarities of qualitative and quantitative
research is that both look for patterns in the data they collect
that point to a relationship between elements. Both qualitative
and quantitative data are instrumental in supporting existing
theories and developing new ones. Ultimately, the researcher
must determine which kind of research best serves the goals
of their study.

16. Analyzing Qualitative Data
Because qualitative data doesn’t allow for numerical data analysis, any
analytical approach must be developed with care and caution. Here are a few
different methods of qualitative data analysis, as follows:
Content analysis: Groups together similar concepts, themes and words that
emerge from the data in order to understand interrelationships
Discourse analysis: Evaluates the way in which people often express
themselves in various contexts through the lens of cultural and power
dynamics
Thematic analysis: Seeks to understand the true meaning behind subjects’
words by uncovering recurrent themes in the data

17. Analyzing Quantitative Data
The question of how to analyze quantitative data is slightly more
straightforward compared to the various approaches for qualitative data.
When working with quantitative data, doctoral researchers will generally
review the collected data and organize it into visual elements, such as charts
and graphs.
The data can be evaluated using either descriptive or inferential statistics.
Descriptive statistics provide an avenue for describing the population or data
set. Inferential statistics can be used to generalize results, as well as to project
future trends or predictions about a larger dataset or population.

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