Research Methods
Qualitative research is most useful when the research objective is:
- To learn about research subjects who are few in number
- To brainstorm (generate as many ideas as possible, not reduce to a single number)
- To identify important issues to be explored more broadly through quantitative methods
- To interpret, illuminate or illustrate the methods.
Quantitative research emphasize objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques. It is mostly conducted in institutional research using the statistical methods to collect quantitative data from the research study. In this research method, researchers and statisticians deploy mathematical frameworks and theories that pertain to the quantity under question.
Collect reliable and accurate data
As data is collected, analyzed, and presented in numbers, the results obtained will be extremely reliable. Numbers do not lie. They offer an honest picture of the conducted research without discrepancies and is also extremely accurate. In situations where a researcher predicts conflict, quantitative research is conducted.
Quick data collection
A quantitative research is carried out with a group of respondents who represent a population. A survey or any other quantitative research method applied to these respondents and the involvement of statistics, conducting, and analyzing results is quite straightforward and less time-consuming.
Wider scope of data analysis and eliminates bias
Due to the statistics, this research method provides a wide scope of data collection. They also offer no scope for personal comments or biasing of results. The results achieved are numerical and are thus, fair in most cases.