Qualitative vs Quantitative Research Quiz: Methods & Techniques

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Questions and Answers

What is definition inference in the context of political science research?

The process of explaining why a correlation exists between two variables

The process of collecting data from many cases to understand an average effect

The process of using known facts to make educated guesses about unknown facts (correct)

The process of analyzing the correlation between two variables in a single case

What is the primary focus of quantitative research in political science?

Making educated guesses about unknown facts

Explaining why a correlation exists between two variables in a single case

Analyzing the details of a specific political event

Understanding the big picture of how one variable affects another (correct)

What is the limitation of quantitative research in explaining the relationship between two variables?

It is not realistic or empirically grounded

It does not provide information about individual cases (correct)

It cannot provide causal analysis and explanation

It cannot be used to make predictions about future events

What is the primary goal of qualitative research in political science?

To provide a detailed understanding of a specific political event or group of cases Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between quantitative and qualitative research in political science?

Quantitative research provides the overall framework, while qualitative research provides the details Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a research question that would be suited to qualitative research?

Why did Brazil experience economic growth but a decrease in democracy? Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary aim of interpretative or critical research?

To create meaning and establish power relationships Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between quantitative and qualitative research?

The logics of inference used to draw conclusions Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of cross-case comparison in qualitative research?

To identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for an outcome Signup and view all the answers

What is the main goal of within-case analysis in qualitative research?

To identify the causal mechanisms linking an independent variable to an outcome Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of Theda Skocpol's research in 'States and Social Revolutions'?

To identify the similarities between social revolutions in different countries Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of Robert Putnam's research in 'Making Democracy Work'?

To identify the similarities between successful and failed democratic regional governments in Italy Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Qualitative Methods

Definition of inference: using known facts to learn about unknown facts, making educated guesses about unobservable facts.
In qualitative research, researchers make inferences based on available information to understand a political event or phenomenon.

Quantitative Research

Focuses on average effects across many cases, measuring correlations between variables using regression analysis.
Quantitative research provides a big picture view, but lacks insight into individual cases, and doesn't explain why variables are correlated.
Provides realistic and empirical results, but may not apply to individual cases.

Qualitative Research (Positivist Area)

Focuses on a single case or a group of cases, aiming to explain individual cases and their unique characteristics.
Uses country-case studies to explain correlations and identify causal relationships, such as why economic growth is correlated with democracy in developing countries.
Aims to create generalizable explanations that can be applied to similar cases.

Qualitative Research (Interpretative or Critical)

Focuses on creating meaning and understanding through interpretation, often critiquing the use of power and establishing new realities.
Examples include post-colonialism, feminism, and humanities research.

Logics of Inference

Inference: moving from observed to non-observed data to explain the non-observed.
Quantitative research: uses mainstream statistics and experimental research to identify average effects of variables.
Qualitative research: uses cross-case comparison and within-case analysis to identify causal mechanisms and explanations.

Cross-Case Comparison

Identifies combinations of conditions that explain the presence of an outcome, and compares these conditions across cases.
Inference: similarities in X should explain Y if two very different cases have the same outcome, and differences in X should explain Y if two very similar cases have different outcomes.

Within-Case Analysis

Identifies causal mechanisms linking X to Y in a single case, and explains why X is correlated with Y in that case.
Inference: if the observed data matches the expected data, then the explanation is likely correct.

Research Question

Example: Why did social revolutions occur in cases as dissimilar as 18th-century France, interwar Russia, and post-World War II China?
Theda Skocpol's research: identified three variables that explain social revolutions in these countries: state capacity, peasant uprisings, and revolutionary elites.
Example: Making Democracy Work, Putnam: why did democratic regional governments fail in some places in Italy and succeed in others?

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Description

Learn about the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods. Understand how qualitative research involves inferences and educated guesses based on available information, while quantitative research averages effects across multiple cases.