Introduction to QUAL and QUAN Research Design

Mixed Methods Research

• Combines both qualitative (QUAL) and quantitative (QUAN) approaches to provide a more complete understanding of the research problem
• Typical example: consecutive and interrelated questionnaire and interview studies

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research

• QUAN research offers a structured and highly regulated way of achieving a macro-perspective of the overarching trends in the world
• QUAL research presents a flexible and highly context-sensitive micro-perspective of everyday realities of the world

Positions Regarding Qual-Quan Distinction

• Purists: QUAL and QUAN methodologies are mutually exclusive
• Situationalists: Both approaches have value if applied in the appropriate research context
• Pragmatists: Integration of the two methodologies can be beneficial to corroborate, elaborate, or initiate findings from the other method

Research Design

• A plan for searching answers for research questions
• A broader meaning, encompassing the complete research scheme
• Two main functions: identifying and developing procedures to conduct the study, and ensuring the objectivity and validity of those procedures

Qualitative Study Designs

• Case study
• Phenomenology
• Narrative analysis
• Basic qualitative study
• Grounded theory
• Ethnography

Characteristics of Qualitative Research

• Emergent research design
• Research design and questions are kept open and flexible
• Data collection procedures result in open-ended, non-numerical data
• Data is analyzed primarily by non-statistical methods
• Focus on individuals' subjective opinions, experiences, and feelings
• Small sample size
• Interpretive analysis

Strengths of Qualitative Research

• Exploratory nature, effective for exploring new and uncharted areas
• Making sense of complexity
• Answering why questions
• Broadening our understanding of human experience
• Longitudinal examination of dynamic phenomena
• Flexibility when things go wrong
• Rich material for the research report

Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

• Sample size and generalizability
• Researcher role
• Lack of methodological rigor
• Too complex or narrow theories
• Time-consuming and labor-intensive

Quantitative Research

• Tests objective theories by examining relationships among variables
• Data collection procedures result in numerical data, analyzed primarily by statistical methods
• Emphasizes measurement and objective techniques
• Uses methods that involve testing theories, hypotheses, and generalizing findings to a larger population
• Views research as systematic and open to replication by other investigators

Characteristics of Quantitative Research

• Uses numbers
• A priori categorization
• Focuses on variables rather than cases
• Uses statistics and the language of statistics
• Standardized procedures to assess objective reality
• Quest for generalizability and universal laws

Strengths of Quantitative Research

• Can generalize research findings to bigger populations
• Data collection is relatively quick
• Data analysis is relatively less time-consuming
• Useful for studying large numbers of people
• Has higher credibility

Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

• Might miss out on phenomena
• Might be too abstract and general for direct application to specific local situations, context, and individuals

Mixed Methods Research

• Involves different combinations of QUAN and QUAL research either at the data collection or at the analysis levels.

This quiz covers the basics of mixed methods research, which combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a more complete understanding of a research problem. It explores the use of consecutive and interrelated questionnaire and interview studies.