Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is a research methodology which
uses questions and questionnaires to
gather quantifiable data and perform statistical analysis to derive meaningful
research conclusions.
How is Quantitative research conducted?
1.
Questions : Quantitative
research method uses surveys and polls to gather information on a given
subject. There are a variety of survey
questions and question types used based on a nature of the
research study.
For
Example : If you want to conduct a customer satisfaction quantitative research,
the Net Promoter Score is
one of the critically acclaimed survey questions for this purpose.
2. Distribution
: Quantitative
research uses email surveys as the primary mode of gathering responses to
questions. Alternatively, technology has given rise to offline distribution
methods for relatively remote locations using offline
mobile data capture apps. For social sciences and psychological
quantitative research, social media surveys are also used to gather data.
3.
Statistical Analysis :
Quantitative research uses a wide range of data analysis techniques such
as Conjoint Analysis, Cross
Tabulation and Trend Analysis.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative
research is a research methodology where
“quality” or opinion based research is conducted to derive research
conclusions. This type of research is often conversational in nature rather
than being quantifiable through empirical data and measurements.
How is Qualitative research conducted?
1.
Conversation : A
conversation takes place between the researcher and the respondent. This can be
in the form of focus groups, in-depth one-on-one interviews using telephonic /
video / face-to-face conversations.
However,
with the rise of online platforms, a bulk of qualitative research involves
creating and maintaining online community
web portals for a more quantifiable and recordable qualitative
study.
2.
Conclusions : Research
conclusions are subjective in nature when conducting qualitative research. The
researcher may derive conclusions based on in-depth analysis of respondent
attitude, reason behind responses and understanding of psychological
motivations.
Quantitative Research vs Qualitative Research
Now
let’s compare the two research methods :
1.
Objective and flow of research
Quantitative
research is
used in data-oriented research where the objective of research is to derive
“measurable empirical evidence” based on fixed and pre-determined questions.
The flow of research, is therefore, decided before the research is conducted.
Where
as, qualitative research is used where the objective is research is to keep
probing the respondents based on previous answers under the complete discretion
of the interviewer. The flow of research is not determined and the researcher /
interviewer has the liberty to frame and ask new questions.
2.
Respondent sample size
Respondents
or sample of a particular
panel is much larger for quantitative research such that
enough verifiable information is gather to reach a conclusion without opinion
bias. In large scale quantitative research, sample size can be in thousands.
Where
as, qualitative research inherently uses less sample size because a large
sample size makes it difficult of the research to probe respondents. For
instance, a typical political focus group study evaluating election candidates
involves no more than 5-10 panelists.
3.
Information gathering
Quantitative
research uses
information gathering methods that can be quantified and processed for
statistical analysis techniques. Simply put – quantitative research is heavily
dependent on “numbers”, data and stats.
Where
as, qualitative research uses conversational methods to gather relevant
information on a given subject.
4.
Post-research response analysis and conclusions
Quantitative
research uses
a variety of statistical analysis methods to derive quantifiable research
conclusions. These are based on mathematical processes applied on the gather
data.
Where
as, qualitative research depends on the interviewer to derive research conclusions
based on qualitative conversations held with the respondents. This conclusion
is effectively subjective in nature. This is why quantitative research
recordings are often reviewed by senior researchers before the final research
conclusion is drawn.