Research Approaches in Social Science

The Quantitative Approach originated from the progress of the natural sciences in the eighteenth century.

Quantitative research questions usually start with ‘when’ or ‘where’.

Quantitative researchers are more interested in individuals than in the common features of groups of people.

Qualitative research is centered around the study of variables that capture common features and which are quantified.

Using numbers is not a characteristic of quantitative research.

Quantitative research is ideal for providing insights into contextual conditions and influences.

Qualitative research questions usually start with ‘why’ or ‘when’.

In qualitative research, the research design is fixed and rigid before the study begins.

Qualitative research typically relies on large samples of participants.

Quantitative research is fundamentally interpretive.