Qualitative researchers are interested in understanding social phenomena through the meanings that people assign to them and by observing people in natural settings. They aim to describe contexts in rich detail and see issues from the perspectives of research participants. Quantitative researchers aim to measure concepts accurately, determine causation between variables, and generalize patterns from samples to populations using statistical techniques. Both approaches have strengths and limitations depending on the type of research question being asked.

1. Qualitative vs Quantitative Research An Introduction

2. Overview The nature of quantitative research The nature of qualitative research The pros and cons A tangent into feminism

3. What do quant researchers worry about? I really spend a lot of time wondering how to measure things. I want to make sure others can repeat my findings. I want to know what causes something else. I wonder how small patterns generalize to big patterns.

4. In short, quant researchers… Use numbers to summarize their findings Aspire to measure concepts accurately Attempt to predict the likelihood of any social phenomena Look for correlations between “variables”

5. A “variable” varies…

6. What is varying? The amount of spice is varying. “Amount of spice” is a variable. “Spice” is not a variable.

7. Independent vs Dependent Variables Height Age ?

8. What is a concept? Concepts must be transformed into measures or indicators “…categories for the organization of ideas and observations” (Bulmer, 1984: 43)

9. Concepts in social theory “Definitive” concepts a “prescriptions of what to see” “Sensitizing” concepts provide a “general sense of reference and guidance” “Thus, with clear concepts theoretical statements can be brought into close and self-correcting relations with the empirical world” (Blumer, 1954: 5).

10. What is a measure? Something that can be counted. Age Height Number of books

11. What is an indicator? Something that “indicates” the presence of something else. GDP IQ Number of hospital visits

12. Types of Quantitative Research Designs

13. Classic Experimental Design The “Will study for the final” Group Midterm grade Exam grade Studies The “Won’t study for the final” Group Midterm grade Exam grade Doesn’t Study December September

14. Classic Experimental Design The “Will study for the final” Group Midterm grade Exam grade Studies Obs 1 Exp Obs 2 The “Won’t study for the final” Group Midterm grade Exam grade Doesn’t Study Obs 1 No Exp Obs 2 December September

15. Cross-sectional Design “A” grades Studied for hours or more Studying “goes with” higher grades All exam grades “B” and below Studied for less than 2 hours

16. Steps In Quant Research

17. What’s wrong with quantitative research? Yeah and they treat people like they’re test tubes or something. It’s the way they do things…it makes it hard for people to see their research as relevant to them. Well their research is just so static. Real life actually changes. They always seem to measure artificial things and say they’re really precise.

18. An example… Researchers want to study poverty in a small, urban housing unit. The property managers say that turnover in the apartments is high. Researchers wonder if the housing unit has some effect on poverty.

19. An example… Qual researchers would learn the experience of poverty. Quant researchers would measure the effects of poverty Researchers want to study poverty in a small, urban housing unit. The property managers say that turnover in the apartments is high. Researchers wonder if the housing unit has some effect on poverty. Quant researchers would ask close-ended questions and search for correlations in quant data. Qual researchers would interview and observe residents and search for themes in these observations and interviews.

20. Qualitative vs. Quantitative

21. What do qual researchers worry about? I really want my research approach to be flexible and able to change. I want to describe the context in a lot of detail. I want to see the world through the eyes of my respondents. I want to show how social change occurs. I’m interested in how things come to be.

22. Types of Qualitative Research Methods

23. Types of Qualitative Research Methods Observational field research (ethnography; in situ; participant observation) Interviewing (one-on-one; dyad; group or focus groups) Unobtrusive Discourse analysis Hermeneutics Content analysis Semiotics Conversation analysis

24. Rapport noun. 1. a close and harmonious relationship in which there is common understanding. 2. trust Source: Compact Oxford English Dictionary. 2008. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

25. What does feminism have to do with qualitative research? Yeah but we kind of also want to know the numbers of discrimination. We want our voices heard!

26. What does interviewing have to do with feminism? How many times have you committed a crime? Tell me about your experience in the criminal justice system. Well, it started when I was 15… 5 times Unstructured Structured

27. What does interviewing have to do with feminism? How many times have you committed a crime? Tell me about your experience in the criminal justice system. Well, it started when I was 15… 5 times No empathy with participant. Empathy with participant. Unstructured Structured

28. Steps in qualitative research

29. “Validity” in qual research is not about sample size For more, see: Denzin, Norman and Yvonne Lincoln. 2000. "Introduction: The Discipline and Practice of Qualitative Research." Pp. 1-30 in Handbook of Qualitative Research, edited by N. Denzin and Y. Lincoln. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Dependability Confirmability Credibility Transferability “Trustworthiness”

30. What’s wrong with qualitative research? Well good luck trying to re-create those results! That’s because they often don’t tell you how they did what that did. You just can’t generalize it. How am I supposed to know how many people have the same experiences? It’s just so subjective.