QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS

RESEARCH METHOD
 Are generalized and established ways of approaching research questions
 Are divided into QUALITATIVE and QUANTITATIVE approaches and involve the specific study
activities of collecting and analyzing research data in order to answer the particular research question.
 Not all methods can be applied to all research objectives, so it is important to ensure that the method
you choose matches the intention of your thesis work.
QUALITATIVE METHODS
 Well suited to in-depth descriptions of events, behaviors, opinions, knowledge and beliefs
 The aim is not measurement, but rather description of what they know, how they came to know it and
how this knowledge informs their current eating practices.
 Example: if your research objective is to describe or discuss the level of knowledge about nutrition
practices during pregnancy among women attending antenatal care
QUANTITATIVE METHODS
Example: If your research objective is to assess the nutritional status of women attending antenatal care. If
there is a relationship between knowledge about nutrition during pregnancy and the actual nutritional status
of pregnant women
MIXED METHODS
 Produces a richer and more comprehensive understanding of a research area
 Example: An investigation into the relationship between the spread of cholera and household water
use would require that you use quantitative approaches to identify both cholera cases and to measure
water quantity in a cohort of an appropriate size
 Together, this combined approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the risk
relationship between water availability and the spread of cholera in the community under study.
QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
The aim is a complete, detailed description.The aim is to classify feature, count them, and construct
statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed.
Researcher may only know roughly in advance Researcher knows clearly in advance what he/she is looking
what he/she is looking for for
Recommended during earlier phases of Recommended during latter phases of research projects.
research projects.
The design emerges as the study unfolds. All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is
collected.
Researcher is the data gathering instrument Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment
to collect numerical data.
Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects Data is in the form of numbers and statistics.
SUBJECTIVE – An individual’s interpretation OBJECTIVE – Seeks precise measurement & analysis of
of events is important (uses participant target concepts.
observation, in-depth interviews)
Qualitative data is more “rich”, time Quantitative data is more efficient, able to test hypotheses,
consuming, and less able to be generalized. but may miss contextual detail.

Researcher tends to become subjectively Researcher tends to remain objectively separated from the
immersed in the subject matter subject matter
COLLECTING DATA
QUANTITATIVE DATA
 Claim that their data are hard, rigorous, credible and scientific
 Best explain the what, who and when of a phenomenon
QUANTITATIVE METHODS HOW TO COLLECT DATA?
Surveys/ Questionnaires The most common method ca either be self-administered or
administered by someone else and can be face-to-face, telephone, mail
or web-based.
Pre/post Tests Surveys or measures are collected prior to an intervention among a
target population and then an intervention is implemented for a period
of time before recollecting the same survey or measurement data after
intervention is complete. The before and after data is compared to detect
changes that may be attributed to the intervention.

Existing Databases This kind of secondary data is often used in conjunction with survey
data. It includes census data, knowledge/attitude/behavior (KAB)
studies, criminal justice statistics, non-confidential client information,
agency progress reports, etc.

QUALIITATIVE DATA
 May also include photos, videos, audio recordings and other non-text data.
 Counter that their data are sensitive, detailed, nuanced and contextual.
 Best explain the why and how
 Qualitative studies often utilize a mix of the above mentioned data collection approaches in order to
make results more reliable
 TRIANGULATION – the use of multiple data collection approaches to improve reliability
QUALITATIVE HOW TO COLLECT DATA?
METHODS
Observation  Looking at what is happening rather than directly questioning participants
 Used to better understand behaviors, their social context and meanings
attached to them
 Useful for certain populations -children, infants
 Can identify unanticipated outcomes
In-Depth Interviews  Can either be with, individual participants or key informants
 Usually provide rich data, details, insights from community members,
program participants and stakeholders about their experiences, behaviors and
opinions
 Particularly useful for complex or sensitive subjects
 Uses open-ended questions
Focus Groups  8 – 12 people selected by a non-random method who share some
characteristics or experience relevant to the research. Ideally participants do
not know each other and respond to questions from a group facilitator
 Use group dynamics to generate data and insights
 Useful for generating ideas and strategies, defining problems in project
implementation, assist with interpreting quantitative findings
 Open-ended questions or topics designed to stimulate discussion; topics
usually broader that interview questions
ANALYSING DATA
METHODS HOW TO ANALYZE DATA?
QUANTITATIVE The type of statistical analysis you choose will depend on
STATISTICAL your research objectives and the number of independent
ANALYSIS and dependent variables under study.
 Chi-Square tests
 ANOVA tests
 T- tests
 Multiple Regression Analysis
QUALITATIVE The type of analysis you chose will depend on your
ANALYSIS research objectives and your theoretical framework.

QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS (QDA) – is the

range of processes and procedures whereby we move from
the qualitative data that have been collected into some
form of explanation, understanding or interpretation of the
people and situations being investigated. Finding themes
is part of the overwhelming majority of QDA carried out
today and there are several ways to identify and code data
thematically, including:
 Domain Analysis
 Template Analysis
 Discourse Analysis

STRENTHS AND LIMITATIONS

QUANTITATIVE METHOD
 Are pieces of information that can be counted and which are usually gathered by surveys from large
numbers of respondents randomly selected for inclusion
 Secondary data are often included in quantitative research
 Analyzed using statistical methods
 Best used to answer what, when and who questions
STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS
Findings can be generalized if selection Related secondary data is sometimes not available or
process is well-designed and ample is accessing available data is difficult/impossible
representative of study population
Relatively easy to analyze Difficult to understand to context of a phenomenon

Data can be very consistent, precise and Data may not be robust enough to explain complex issues
reliable
QUALITATIVE METHOD
 Are usually gathered by observation, interviews or focus groups, but may also be gathered from written
documents and through case studies.
 There is less emphasis on counting numbers of people who think or behave in certain ways and more
emphasis on explaining why people think and behave in certain ways
 Participants often involve smaller numbers of tools include and utilizes open-ended questionnaires
interview guides.
 Best used to answer how and why questions
STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS
Complement and refine quantitative data Findings usually cannot be generalized to the study
population or community
Provide more detailed information to explain More difficult to analyze; don’t fit neatly in standard
complex issues categories
Multiple methods for gathering data on sensitive Data collection is usually time consuming
subjects
Data collection is usually cost efficient