What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative analysis

An interest in qualitative data came about as the result of the dissatisfaction of some psychologists e. Since psychologists study people, the traditional approach to science is not seen as an appropriate way of carrying out research, since it fails to capture the totality of human experience and the essence of what it is to be human.

Exploring the experience of participants is known as a phenomenological approach re: Humanism. The aim of qualitative research is to understand the social reality of individuals, groups and cultures as nearly as possible as its participants feel it or live it. Thus, people and groups, are studied in their natural setting. It can be used to generate hypotheses and theory from the data. The results of qualitative methods provide a deep understandings of how people perceive their social realities, and in consequence, how they act within the social world.

The researcher has several methods for collecting empirical materials, ranging from the interview to direct observation, to the analysis of artifacts, documents, and cultural records, to the use of visual materials or personal experience. A good example of a qualitative research method would be unstructured interviews which generate qualitative data through the use of open questions. This allows the respondent to talk in some depth, choosing their own words.

Notice that qualitative data could be much more than just words or text. Photographs, videos, sound recordings and so on, can be considered qualitative data. Qualitative research is endlessly creative and interpretive. The researcher does not just leave the field with mountains of empirical data and then easily write up his or her findings.

Because of the time and costs involved, qualitative designs do not generally draw samples from large-scale data sets. The problem of adequate validity or reliability is a major criticism. Because of the subjective nature of qualitative data and its origin in single contexts, it is difficult to apply conventional standards of reliability and validity.

For example, because of the central role played by the researcher in the generation of data, it is not possible to replicate qualitative studies. Also, contexts, situations, events, conditions, and interactions cannot be replicated to any extent nor can generalizations be made to a wider context than the one studied with any confidence.

The time required for data collection, analysis and interpretation are lengthy. Analysis of qualitative data is difficult and expert knowledge of an area is necessary to try to interpret qualitative data, and great care must be taken when doing so, for example, if looking for symptoms of mental illness. Because of close researcher involvement, the researcher gains an insider's view of the field. This allows the researcher to find issues that are often missed such as subtleties and complexities by the scientific, more positivistic inquiries.

Qualitative descriptions can play the important role of suggesting possible relationships, causes, effects and dynamic processes. Qualitative research uses a descriptive, narrative style; this research might be of particular benefit to the practitioner as she or he could turn to qualitative reports in order to examine forms of knowledge that might otherwise be unavailable, thereby gaining new insight.

Fill out the form to get program details and access to valuable resources. Fill out the form below to get started and take the next step toward your educational goals. I understand calls and texts may be directed to the number I provide using automatic dialing technology. I understand that this consent is not required to purchase goods or services. Quantitative Analytics How many coins do you have in your pocket? Examples of this could include the following: Using web traffic data to identify what areas of a website are most frequently visited.

Using services such as Google Analytics to determine what search terms most commonly lead customers to your website. Using website traffic data to determine when potential customers are abandoning the conversion funnel and not completing the transaction, then using this data to make changes to improve conversion numbers. Qualitative Analytics Businesses use qualitative analytics to assess situations where hard numbers are impossible. Gathering opinions from customers on the value they see in the product or service offered.

Often this perception differs from what was assumed. Using written customer feedback on websites to guide future marketing campaigns, as it gives a clearer picture of why customers like your product.

As all of these question types collect data that fit into set categories or can be calculated into averages and other statistics, they are quantitative. Qualitative data can also be collected through certain types of survey questions, in addition to interviews and focus groups. Examples of qualitative data include:. Data collected from these methods and question types do not provide numerical statistics but instead, give insights that are often longer and more detailed than their quantitative counterparts.

Generally, quantitative data is used to answer precise questions and prove or disprove hypotheses, while qualitative data provides richer insights on a smaller scale. Qualitative research is often conducted at the beginning of a study when researchers are looking to gather broad, unstructured information on a topic to create a hypothesis, which can then be more clearly answered by quantitative research.

Qualitative data collected through unstructured interviews or focus groups can also inform the development of a more structured questionnaire administered to a larger group. For example, a focus on different ice cream brands may uncover that participants generally consider price and packaging first. Qualitative data may also be used as part of a mixed-methods research study to add additional context to quantitative data. A researcher may administer both a quantitative questionnaire and conduct a qualitative analysis of interviews with subject-matter experts to form a more robust conclusion.

Surveys can also be split between qualitative and quantitative; Many surveys are mostly quantitative questions that can be quickly analyzed, plus one or two qualitative questions that provide deeper insights into the topic being studied. GeoPoll has experience designing and administering both quantitative and qualitative research studies around the globe. Qualitative Methods. Quantitative Methods. Methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews, and reviews of documents for types of themes.

Primarily inductive process used to formulate theory or hypotheses.