This document discusses quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research approaches. It provides the following key points: - Quantitative research tests objective theories through examining relationships between variables using numerical data collected through methods like surveys analyzed statistically. Qualitative research explores social problems through open-ended, non-numerical data like interviews analyzed through content analysis. - Mixed methods research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches at the data collection and/or analysis stages to provide a more complete understanding. - Quantitative research offers a structured macro perspective of trends while qualitative research provides a flexible micro perspective of everyday realities. Different positions view the approaches as mutually exclusive, situationally dependent, or potentially integrated to corroborate findings.