Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the quantitative and qualitative designs should be adopted based on the design's appropriateness to the problem of the study. The paper explains how the dichotomy and differences between the qualitative and quantitative research designs led to the emergence of specific perceptions about each design. The paper contends that quantitative research is considered more scientific than qualitative, while the latter is considered more in-depth in acquiring information than the former. The paper states that while they differ in methodology and analysis, quantitative and qualitative research designs actually present two facets of a social phenomenon or action.

From the Paper:

"In the conduct of sociological research, the qualitative and quantitative research designs remain the predominant structures in which scientific studies on social phenomena are discovered, analyzed, and interpreted. However, the emergence of quantitative research design prior to the development of the qualitative design created a dichotomy in the field of social science research, wherein preferences for each research design emerged. This dichotomy had been the central focus of discussions and debates about social science research: quantitative research is commonly associated with rigid scientific methodology and analysis, while qualitative research is considered more intrusive and less rigid in terms of data collection and analysis."

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