Quantitative vs qualitative research in a thesis: key differences
The choice between a quantitative and a qualitative approach should not be based on which tool seems to be the easiest. The method must respond to the research problem. The numbers help to measure scale and dependence, and the qualitative material helps to understand the meaning, experience and course of the phenomenon.
Key information
- ✓Questions about scale and dependence usually lead to quantitative data.
- ✓Experience questions and mechanisms more often require quality data.
- ✓Test quantities and quality criteria should not be transferred between approaches.
- ✓Methods can be combined if each has a clearly defined function.
Other objectives and other questions
Quantitative research is used to measure frequencies, differences, or dependencies and requires variables that can be encoded. Qualitative research focuses on how participants understand a phenomenon, what meaning they give it, and how a particular process works.
Tests and tools
The quantitative approach emphasises the number, selection and comparability of responses, which is why questionnaires and scales are often used; the qualitative approach selects people with substantial experience, and the material is produced, inter alia, during interviews, observations or document analysis.
Analysis and presentation of results
Quantitative data is analyzed through layouts, descriptive measurements and statistical tests. Qualitative material requires coding, categorization, and pattern searching. Citations from statements illustrate interpretation, but do not replace a description of the method of analysis.
How to Make a Decision
Write down the main research question and see what kind of answer it requires. Then evaluate participants' access, time, analytical skills and supervisor requirements. Only on this basis do you choose a method instead of matching the problem to a randomly selected tool.
Summary
The best method is one that allows the question to be answered and that can be reliably implemented. The name of the approach is less important than the consistency between the goal, the experiment, the tool, the analysis and the scope of the conclusions.
Frequently asked questions
Does an interview always mean a qualitative test?
Most often so, but the nature of the study is also determined by the way in which questions are constructed and answers are analyzed.
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