qualitative research approaches
qualitative research approaches
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With the focus on qualitative design and sampling, this is a great opportunity to compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative research approaches.
In regards to qualitative research having control over study conditions has both advantages and disadvantages. Since qualitative research is consumed with methods in an attempt to develop a deep understanding of how people perceive their social realities and how they act within the social world. Interviews, journals, and direct observations are all methods utilized to obtain data for the researcher whom utilizes this methodology. When discussing controls over study conditions, an advantage to this type of research would be the close and personal involvement of the research which allows the researcher to gain an insider’s view of the field. A disadvantage to control study conditions within quantitative research includes the questionable validity and reliability. Due to the subjective nature of qualitative data it is difficult to apply conventional standards of reliability and validity. An example of this, because of the personal role played by the researcher in the generation and development of this data, it is not possible to replicate qualitative studies. This is a disadvantage due to the principle that results from the study cannot be repeated with an expectation to receive the exact same results (McLeod, Saul, 2019).
In retrospect, quantitative research too has advantages and disadvantages that go along with control over study conditions in the research project process. One advantage the control that a researcher has when utilizing the qualitative research process is control of the environment in which the research takes place. This allows for less variability in encounters and provides structure. In addition to this, quantitative research is based on numeric, and measured values. This allows for others to check results of the study because numerical data is less vulnerable to ambiguities of interpretation. Hypotheses can also be tested by other researchers because of the use of statistical analysis. A disadvantage that comes with the type of research relates to its strict terms for participants such as environment setting and the fact that participants are not able to explain their choices that they make for their actions (McLeod, Saul, 2019).
