Research Methods Of Data Collection : Qualitative And Quantitative

Research Methods Of Data Collection

Nature Of Information Gathered (Qualitative And Quantitative)

Research Methods Of Data Collection Are Split Broadly Into Two Categories

1. Quantitative Research Method Of Data Collection
2. Qualitative Research Method Of Data Collection

Quantitative Research

Quantitative Research Is Perhaps The Simpler To Define And Identify. The Data Produced Are Always Numerical, And They Are Analysed Using Mathematical And Statistical Methods. If There Are No Numbers Involved, Then It's Not Quantitative Research.

Some Phenomena Obviously Lend Themselves To Quantitative Analysis Because They Are Already Available As Numbers.

Examples Include Changes In Achievement At Various Stages Of Education, Or The Increase In Number Of Senior Managers Holding Management Degrees.

However, Even Phenomena That Are Not Obviously Numerical In Nature Can Be Examined Using Quantitative Methods.

Sources Of Quantitative Data

The Most Common Sources Of Quantitative Data Include:

1. Surveys, Whether Conducted Online, By Phone Or In Person. These Rely On The Same Questions Being Asked In The Same Way To A Large Number Of People.
2. Observations, Which May Either Involve Counting The Number Of Times That A Particular Phenomenon Occurs, Such As How Often A Particular Word Is Used In Interviews, Or Coding Observational Data To Translate It Into Numbers; And
3. Secondary Data, Such As Company Accounts.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research Is Any Which Does Not Involve Numbers Or Numerical Data. It Often Involves Words Or Language, But May Also Use Pictures Or Photographs And Observations.

Qualitative Analysis Results In Rich Data That Gives An In-Depth Picture And It Is Particularly Useful For Exploring How And Why Things Have Happened.

Sources Of Qualitative Data

Although Qualitative Data Is Much More General Than Quantitative, There Are Still A Number Of Common Techniques For Gathering It. These Include:

1. Interviews
   1. Structured,
   2. Semi-Structured
   3. Unstructured
2. Focus Groups, Which Involve Multiple Participants Discussing An Issue.
3. Postcards Or Small-Scale Written Questionnaires That Ask, For Example, Three Or Four Focused Questions Of Participants But Allow Them Space To Write In Their Own Words.
4. Secondary Data
   1. Diaries
   2. Written Accounts Of Past Events
   3. Company Reports
5. Observations, Which May Be On Side, Or Under Laboratory Conditions‘, For Example, Where Participants Are Asked To Role-Play A Situation To Show What They Might Do.