This document provides an overview of quantitative and qualitative research approaches. It defines quantitative research as deductive, using numeric data from large samples to test hypotheses and analyze relationships between variables objectively. Qualitative research is defined as inductive, relying on words from smaller samples to understand participant experiences subjectively and identify themes in the data. The key differences between the two approaches are described in terms of identifying research problems, reviewing literature, specifying research purposes and questions, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting results. The document also discusses research design and types of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs.

1. OVERVIEW OF QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE
APPROACHES
Group One
- Kakembo Musa Ntambi
- Atuhairwe Glorious
- Lakony Peter
- Biira Mukakara Jetress

2. WHAT IS QUANTITATIVE AND
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
Quantitative (Deductive) Research
a type of research in which the researcher
1. Decides what to study
2. Asks specific, narrow questions
3. Collects numeric data from participants
4. Analyzes these numbers using statistics
5. Conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner

3. Qualitative (Inductive) research
1. Views of participants,
2. Ask broad, and general questions,
3. Collects data consisting largely of words (or text) from participants,
4. Describes and analyzes these words for themes,
5. Conducts the inquiry in a subjective, biased manner.
A type of research in which the researcher relies on the following:

4. COMMON CHARACTERISTICS THAT
DISTINGUISH QUANTITATIVE FROM
QUALITATIVE:
Identifying a Research Problem;
Quantitative research addresses research problems
that require:
A description of trends or an explanation of the
relationship among variables.

5. Qualitative research addresses research problems
that require:
An exploration in which little is known about the problem
and a detailed understanding of a central phenomenon.

6. REVIEWING THE
LITERATURE
In quantitative research, the literature tends to:
1. Provide a major role through suggesting the research
questions to be asked.
2. Justify the research problem and create a need for the
direction (purpose statement and research questions or
hypothesis) of the study.

7. 1. Play a minor role in suggesting a specific research
question to be asked.
2. Justify the importance of studying the research
problem.
In qualitative research, the literature tends to:

8. SPECIFYING A PURPOSE
FOR RESEARCH
In quantitative research, the purpose statement,
research questions and hypothesis tend to:
1. Be specific and narrow
2. Seek measurable, observable data on
variables.

9. 1. Be general and broad
2. Seek to understand the participants’ experience.
In qualitative research, the purpose statement and
research questions tend to:

10. COLLECTING DATA
Quantitative data collection consists of:
1. Collecting data using instruments with preset questions
and responses.
2. Gathering quantifiable (numeric) data.
3. Collecting information from a large number of
individuals.

11. 1. Collecting data using forms with general, emerging
questions to permit the participation to generate
response.
2. Gathering word (text) or image (picture) data
3. Collecting information from a small number of
individuals or sites
Qualitative data collection consists of:

12. ANALYZING AND
INTERPRETING DATA
In quantitative research, the
1. Data analysis tends to consist of statistical
analysis,
2. Data tends to involve describing trends,
comparing group differences, or relating
variables.
3. Interpretation tends to consist of comparing
results with prior predictions and past research

13. 1. Data analysis tends to consist of text analysis
2. Data tends to involve developing a description and
themes
3. Interpretation tends to consist of stating a larger
meaning of the findings.
In qualitative research, the

14. REPORTING THE
RESEARCH
In quantitative research, the:
1. Research reports tend to use standard, fixed
structures and evaluative criteria.
2. Researchers tend to take an objective and
unbiased approach.

15. 1. Research reports tend to use flexible, emerging
structure and evaluative criteria.
2. Researchers tend to take a subjective (reflexive) and
biased approach.
In qualitative research, the:

16. CATEGORIES OF RESEARCH METHODS
Research methods are broadly distinguished between the following categories:
Quantitative
 Measure prevalence of
issues, verify hypotheses
and establish causal
relations between
variables
 Large samples,
structured data collection,
and predominantly
deductive analysis
Qualitative
 Explore and discover
themes, develop
theories, rather than verify
hypotheses and measure
occurrences
 Smaller samples, semi-
structured data collection,
inductive analysis
Mixed Methods
 Combines both
qualitative and
quantitative to (1) collect
and analyse both types of
data and (2) use both
approaches in tandem

17. DEDUCTIVE (QUANTITATIVE) VS. INDUCTIVE (QUALITATIVE) ANALYSIS
APPROACH

18. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
Distinction between the two can be made based on the following three criteria:
Quantitative Qualitative
1. Type of data collection Structured, close-ended data
collection tools
Semi-structured (but not
unstructured) data collection tools
2. Type of analysis Measuring prevalence,
quantifying issues, and
primarily involves deductive
analysis
Exploratory, and primarily involves
inductive analysis
3. Type of sampling strategy Can use both probability or
non-probability sampling 
generalisation to the wider
population possible
Non-probability sampling 
generalisation to the wider population
not possible

19. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE &
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
The distinction between quantitative and qualitative research is not always as clear-
cut:
 Individual and household surveys
o Commonly associated with quantitative, large sample research
o Could also be used for a qualitative case study
 Key Informant interviews and community discussions
o Commonly associated with qualitative, semi-structured data collection & analysis
o Could also be used for quantitative data collection & analysis where time and
resources do not allow a large, representative sample
o Perhaps the most distinctly qualitative research method, always administered
using a semi-structured data collection tool
o Often analysed using content analysis i.e. a somewhat quantitative approach
counting the number of times a theme or set of words appear with the discussion
transcripts
o This content analysis can then inform the more in-depth qualitative analysis.

20. SELECTING YOUR RESEARCH METHOD
What factors to consider when choosing one research method over another?
 Overall applicability to meet research objectives
 Time i.e. key planning and decision-making milestones to inform
 Resources available
 Material resources
 Financial resources
 Human resources
 Access to population of interest

21. QUANTITATIVE AND
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
• Both forms of research follow the six steps in the process
of research.
1. Identifying a research problem
2. Reviewing the literature
3. Specifying the purpose
4. Collecting Data
5. Analyzing and interpreting data
6. Reporting and evaluating data

22. • In the section on the research problem – both
quantitative and qualitative research can be
similar in the topics addressed such as conveying a
problem, pointing out the lack of literature on this
problem, and justifying a need to study the
problem.
• In both quantitative and qualitative research, you
collect data using interviews, observations, and
documents.

23. WHAT IS A RESEARCH
DESIGN?
• Research design can be thought of as the structure of
research.
• It is the "glue" that holds all of the elements in a research
project together.

24. RESEARCH DESIGN
• It is used to structure the research, to show how all of the
major parts of the research project -- the samples or
groups, measures, treatments or programs, and methods
of assignment -- work together to try to address the
central research questions.

25. RESEARCH DESIGN
• Is a specific procedure involved in the last three steps of
the research process:
data collection
analysis
report writing
• they differ for quantitative, qualitative, and combined.

26. TYPES OF RESEARCH
DESIGN
Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Combined
Design Design Qualitative/Quantitative
Research Design
1. Experimental
Research
2. Correlational
Research
3. Survey
Research
1. Grounded Theory
Research
2. Ethnographic
Research
3. Narrative
Research
1. Mixed Method
2. Action Research

27. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
• (also known as intervention studies or group comparison
studies) is a procedure of quantitative research in which
the investigator determines whether an activity or
materials make a difference in result for participants.
• It establishes the possible cause and effect between the
dependent and independent variables.

28. TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL
DESIGN
1. Between-Group Designs (Two or more groups are
compared)
• True experiments – assign the control group and the
experimental group
• Quasi-experiments – use the existing intact group

29. 2. Within-Group or Individual Designs (limited participants
and not possible to create more than one group)
• Time series- studying one group overtime with multiple
pretest and posttest measures or observations made by
the researcher.

30. • Repeated measures – all participants in a single group
participate in all experimental treatments with each
group becoming its own control.
• Single –subject design – involves the study of single
individuals, their observation over a baseline period,
and the administration of an intervention.

31. STEPS IN CONDUCTING AN
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
1. Decide if an experiment addresses your
research problem
2. Form hypotheses to test cause-and-effect
relationships
3. Select an experimental unit and identify study
participants
4. Select an experimental treatment and
introduce it
5. Choose a type of experimental design
6. Conduct experiment
7. Organize and analyze the data
8. Develop an experimental research report

32. NON EXPERIMENTAL (CORRELATIONAL)
DESIGNS
• Are procedures in quantitative research that lack the
manipulation of an independent variable, random
assignment of participants to conditions or orders of
conditions or both.
• They are used when a researcher seeks to relate two or
more variables to see whether they influence each other.

33. NON EXPERIMENTAL (CORRELATIONAL)
DESIGNS
• Are procedures in quantitative research in which
investigators measure the degree of association (or
relation) between two or more variables using the
statistical procedure of correlational analysis.
• They are used when a researcher seeks to relate two or
more variables to see whether they influence each other.

34. TYPES OF
CORRELATIONAL DESIGN
• Explanatory design – it is used when the researcher is
interested in the extent to which variables co-vary, that is,
where changes in one are reflected in changes in the
other.

35. 2. The Prediction Design – to identify variables that will
positively predict an outcome or criterion.

36. HOW TO CONDUCT A
CORRELATIONAL STUDY?
1. Determine if a correlational study best
addresses the research problem
2. Identify individuals to study
3. Identify two or more measures for each
individual study
4. Identify two or more measures for each
individual in the study
5. Collect data and monitor potential threats
6. Analyze the data and represent the results
7. Interpret the results

37. SURVEY DESIGNS
• Are procedures in quantitative research in which you
administer a survey or questionnaire to a small group of
people (called the sample) to identify trends in attitudes,
opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a large group of
people (called population).
• They are used to describe the trends.

38. GROUNDED THEORY
DESIGNS
• Are systematic, qualitative procedures that researchers
use to generate a general explanation (called a
grounded theory) that explains a process, action, or
interaction among people.

39. ETHNOGRAPHIC DESIGNS
• Are qualitative procedures for describing, analyzing, and
interpreting a cultural group’s shared patterns of
behavior, beliefs, and language that develop over time.
• They are used when the study of a group provides
understanding of a larger issue

40. TYPES OF
ETHNOGRAPHIC DESIGN
1. Realist ethnography – an objective account of the
situation, typically written in the third-person point of
view, reporting objectively on the information
learned from the participants at a field site.
2. Case study
3. Critical ethnography

41. NARRATIVE RESEARCH
DESIGNS
• Are qualitative procedures in which researchers describe
the lives of individuals, collect and tell stories about these
individual’s lives, and write narratives about their
experiences.

42. MIXED METHODS
DESIGNS
• Are procedures for collecting, analyzing, and mixing both
qualitative and quantitative data in a single study or in a
multiple series of studies.

43. ACTION RESEARCH
DESIGNS
• Are systematic procedures used by teachers (or other
individuals in an educational setting) to gather
quantitative data to address improvements in their
educational setting, their teaching, and the learning of
their students.

44. HOW TO CHOOSE QUANTITATIVE
OR QUALITATIVE APPROACH?
1. Match your approach to your research problem.
2. Fit the approach to your audience.
3. Relate the approach to your experiences.

45. END