International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)

ISSN: 2319-7064
SJIF (2022): 7.942

Research Paradigms: Qualitative, Quantitative and

Mixed Method
Dr. Rachna Gihar

Assistant Professor, Institute of Education and Research, Mangalayatan University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

Corresponding Author: Dr. Rachna Gihar

drrachnagihar[at]gmail.com

Abstract: The present article describes the paradigms of qualitative and quantitative research. The purpose of this article is to
introduce post-graduates and new researchers with quantitative and qualitative research design and to benefit them select the best
technique based on the type of information. With this article, author attempts to confer quantitative and qualitative research approaches
within the comprehensive ground of educational research, in the reflection of observing for probable resemblances and variances
between the two approaches. With this article author initiated with the concept of research and its major purposes, and then links with
general information about qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. As well it defines the new approach as mixed method
design. Finally, it illustrates the absolute and discrepancy between qualitative and quantitative research with a few concluding notes.

Keywords: Research Paradigms, Quantitative research, Qualitative research, Mixed method

1.Introduction The word paradigm can be used to mean either approach

or design. Paradigms derived from the Greek word for
Generally, research refers to a systematic investigation to exhibiting side by side in lexica is given with translations
find answers to a problem. According to Kerlinger (1986), examples or tables of changes in form and difference in
„scientific research is a systematic, controlled empirical form. Thus, Paradigms are ways of organising information
and critical investigation of propositions about the so that fundamental, abstract relationship can be clearly
presumed relationships about various phenomenon‟. In understood. The idea of paradigm directs attention to
nutshell, research is primarily committed to establishing science as having recognised patterns of commitments,
systematic, reliable and valid knowledge about the social questions, method and procedure that underlie and give
world. The research has many purposes, the major is listed direction to scientific work. The concept of paradigm
here: provides a way to consider the divergence in vision,
custom and tradition. It enables us consider science as
 Generating new knowledge/finding truth Improving having different sets of assumptions, commitments,
understanding procedures and theories of social affairs. A paradigm could
 Formulating new theories /revision of existing theories be regarded as a cultural man-made object, reflecting the
 Refining existing research method dominant notions about scientific behaviour in a particular
scientific community, be it national or International, and at
 Clarification of fact
a particular point in time. Paradigm determines scientific
 Application of testing
approaches and procedure which stand out as exemplary to
 To help in decision making process for effective the new generation of scientist– as long as they do not
planning, program and implementation oppose them.
 Scientific study
The research methodology that was traditionally used in
On the other hand, the specific purposes of research are: social sciences for several decades was the quantitative
methodology, which originated in the natural sciences such
 For the sake of knowledge as biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and was
 For practical contribution concerned with investigating things which could be
observed and measured in some way. Quantitative research
In conducting research, we need to emphasis on specific was the generally accepted research paradigm in
design that provides us idea about procedures and educational research until the early 1980s, when the
logistical provisions required and provide a whole context “paradigm wars” between advocates of quantitative and
to commence a study. A research design is a procedural qualitative research reached a new peak (Guba, 1990;
plan that is adopted by the researcher to answer questions Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998). During the 1980s, many
validly, objectively, accurately and economically (Kumar, quantitative and qualitative researchers argued that their
2005). Research designs are types of inquiry within approach was superior. Some of these researchers were
qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches “purists,” in the sense that they argued that the two
that provide specific direction for procedures in a research approaches could not be used together because of
design. Others have called them strategies of inquiry differences in the world views or philosophies associated
(Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). with the two approaches. Quantitative and qualitative
paradigms of research form two different ways of looking

Volume 11 Issue 10, October 2022

www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: SR221010141739 DOI: 10.21275/SR221010141739 444
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
SJIF (2022): 7.942
at the world‟s phenomenon. The qualitative research possible exception is the focus group, which is conducted
design is also known as the socio-Anthropological with 3-10 persons and uses a script of questions. The
research paradigm. It is interpretative, and ethnographic in moderator asks the questions and the plotter records the
nature. The fundamental approach involves detailed responses. Though a focus group is directed in a controlled
observation, explanation and undertakes that it is environment, the open-ended questions and lack of rigid
impossible to describe exactly what basics are important sample selection make it seem more like a field exercise.
and crucial and should be measured to the exclusion of
others. It claims that validity is important than attempting Qualitative research answer questions on: Why people
strictly to define what is being observed and by so doing behave the way they do? How opinions and attitudes are
study the whole condition. Its efforts to study the whole shaped? How people are affected by the events that go on
situation in order to evaluate the density and confirm that around them? How and why cultures have developed?
their assumption take account of both unique and general
factors. Qualitative and quantitative research are often 3.Quantitative Research Approach
presented as two fundamentally different paradigms
through which we study the social world. These paradigms Quantitative research is 'explaining phenomenon by
act as lightning conductors to which sets of collection numerical data that are analysed using
epistemological assumptions, theoretical approaches and mathematically based methods (in particular statistics)'
methods are attracted. Each is seen to be incompatible with (Aliaga and Gunderson, as cited in Muijs, 2004).
the other (Bryman 2001: 445). These paradigmatic claims Quantitative research is controlled, obstructive, objective
have a tendency to resurface from time to time, and product oriented which aims at quantifying the
manifesting themselves in the effects of different cultural variation of certain situation, issue, even or phenomenon.
traditions upon intellectual styles of research (Galtung Quantitative Research establishes statistically significant
1982).On the other hand, quantitative research paradigm is conclusions about a population by studying a
empirical in nature; it is also identified as the scientific representative sample of the population. The population
research paradigm. The paradigm ensures validity by the consists of the entire group being studied. It does not
process of rigorous clarification, definition or use of pilot matter if the population is broad or narrow, only that it
experiments. That is trying out the instruments beforehand, includes every individual that fits the description of the
and checking their significance with experts and assessing group being studied. The objective of quantitative research
their reliability by use of statistical tests. This approach is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories
can be further sub-classified into inferential, experimental and /or hypothesis pertaining to phenomena. Leedy (1993)
and simulation approaches to research. There has been utters:
much debate about quantitative and qualitative approaches
to research in different disciplines. In the behavioural and Quantitative research method deals with numbers and
social sciences, these two paradigms are associated to anything that is measurable in a systematic way of
expose their relative strengths and weaknesses. But the investigation of phenomenon and their relationships. It is
debate about both traditions has generally taken place in used to answer questions on relationships within
academic books. It is tough to find an article that deals measurable variables with an intention to explain, predict
with the generic issues associated to the quantitative and and control phenomena.
qualitative split by drawing on eminent research literature.
The quantitative research aims to govern the relationship
Research designs are types of inquiry within qualitative, between one thing (an independent variable) and another
quantitative, and mixed methods approaches that provide (a dependent or outcome variable) in a population. It is an
specific direction for procedures in a research design. approach for testing objective theories by examining the
Others have called them strategies of inquiry (Denzin & relationship among variables. These variables, in turn, can
Lincoln, 2011). be measured, typically on instruments, so that numbered
data can be analysed using statistical procedures and /or
2.Qualitative Research Approach hypothesis pertaining to phenomena.

Qualitative research collects, analyses, and interprets data Distinction between Quantitative and Qualitative
by observing what people do and speak. Qualitative Research Paradigms
research is naturalistic, interpretative approach concerned
with understanding the meanings which people attach to Pure quantitative research relies on the collection of
phenomena (actions, decisions, beliefs, values etc.) within quantitative data (i.e., numerical data) and follows the
their social worlds (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). Berg (2007) other characteristics of the quantitative research paradigm
states it refers to meanings, concepts, definitions and shown in Table 1. Pure qualitative research relies on the
characteristics, metaphors, symbols and descriptions of collection of qualitative data (i.e., non-numerical data such
things. as words and pictures). First, the quantitative research
approach primarily follows the confirmatory scientific
Instead of providing a broad view of a phenomenon that method because its focus is on hypothesis testing and
can be generalized to the population, qualitative research theory testing. Quantitative researchers consider it to be of
seeks to explain a current situation and only describes that primary importance to state one‟s hypotheses and then test
situation for that group. Since only a current situation is those hypotheses with empirical data to see if they are
observed, all qualitative research is done in the field. A supported. On the other hand, qualitative research
Volume 11 Issue 10, October 2022
www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: SR221010141739 DOI: 10.21275/SR221010141739 445
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
SJIF (2022): 7.942
primarily follows the exploratory scientific method. quantitative research, it is assumed that cognition and
Qualitative research is used to describe what is seen behaviour are highly predictable and explainable.
locally and sometimes to come up with or generate new Traditionally, the assumption of determinism, which
hypotheses and theories. Qualitative research is used when means that all events are fully determined by one or more
little is known about a topic or phenomenon and when one causes, was made in quantitative research (Salmon, 2007).
wants to discover or learn more about it. It is commonly Because quantitative research has not identified any
used to understand people‟s experiences and to express universal or unerring laws of human behaviour, most
their perspectives. Researchers advocating mixed research contemporary quantitative researchers search for
argue that that it is important to use both the exploratory probabilistic causes (Humphreys, 1989).
and the confirmatory methods in one‟s research (Johnson
& Onwuegbuzie, 2004). Table 1 below shows a summary of major differences
between quantitative and qualitative approaches to
Quantitative and qualitative researches are also research.
distinguished by different views of human behaviour. In

Table 1: Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches

Orientation Quantitative Approach Qualitative Approach
Paradigm/Worldview (assumption about Positivism/Realism Interpretivism/Idealism
world)
Research Purpose (rationale) Numerical description Causal explanation Subjective description Empathetic
Prediction understanding Exploration
Epistemology (theory of knowledge) Dualist/Objectivist Subjectivist
Methodology (aims of scientific Experimental/Manipulative Hermeneutical/Dialectical
investigation)
Research Methods (techniques and tools) Empirical examination Measurement Ethnographies Case studies Narrative
Hypothesis testing Randomization Blinding Research Interviews Focus group discussion
Structured Protocols Questionnaires Observations Field notes Recordings &
Films
Scientific Method (role of theory) Deductive approach, testing of theory Inductive approach, generation of theory
Nature of Data Instruments Variables Structured and Validated-data Words, images, categories In-depth
collection instruments interviews, participant observation, field
notes, and open-ended questions
Data Analysis Identify statistical relationships among Use descriptive data, search for patterns,
variables themes ad holistic features and appreciate
variations
Results Generalizable findings Particularistic findings; provision of insider
viewpoint
Final Report Formal statistical report with: Informal narrative report
• Correlations
• Comparisons of means
• Reporting of statistical significance of
findings

4.Mixed Methods Research Approach Convergent (parallel design), Explanatory sequential

(Quan-Qual), Exploratory sequential (Qual-Quan),
In mixed research, the researcher uses a mixture or Embedded intervention design.
combination of quantitative and qualitative methods,
approaches, or concepts in a single research study or in a To conclude, qualitative research and quantitative research
set of related studies. The qualitative and quantitative parts share the same patterns, structures, steps, procedures,
of a research study might be conducted concurrently principles, methods, techniques, and are used
(conducting both parts at roughly the same time) or synonymously. Depending upon the desired outcome of
sequentially (conducting one part first and the other the research, social scientists may choose between
second) to report a research question or a set of associated quantitative or qualitative designs. Since they seek to
questions. Mixed researchers see positive value in both the explain events from different perspectives, both are valid
quantitative and the qualitative views of human behaviour. ways to evaluate a phenomenon in the proper context. The
They view the use of only quantitative research or only fundamental divergence between qualitative and
qualitative research as limiting and imperfect for many quantitative inquiries lies in the logic of justification, not
research problems. If single research makes use of both methods as techniques. The two methodologies in question
qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study is were developed from two completely different ontological
said to be mixed methods research. Creswell (2014) and epistemological perspectives and represent two
suggests that mixed methods research is an approach in distinct worldviews or paradigms (Silverman, 2004). Guba
which the researcher collects analyses and interprets both and Lincoln (1994) state that paradigms represent one‟s set
quantitative and qualitative data, integrates the two of basic beliefs and as such must be accepted simply on
approaches in various ways and frames the study within a faith. These research types differ in terms of treatment of
specific design. The mixed-method researches are of; data but are not mutually exclusive. The way a researcher

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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: SR221010141739 DOI: 10.21275/SR221010141739 446
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
SJIF (2022): 7.942
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Paper ID: SR221010141739 DOI: 10.21275/SR221010141739 447