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"The word qualitative implies an emphasis on the qualities of entities and on processes and meanings that are not
experimentally examined or measured (if measured at all) in terms of quantity, amount, intensity, or frequency. Qualitative
researchers stress the socially constructed nature of reality, the intimate relationship between the researcher and what is
studied, and the situational constraints that shape inquiry. Such researchers emphasize the value-laden nature of inquiry. They
seek answers to questions that stress how social experience is created and given meaning. In contrast, quantitative studies
emphasize the measurement and analysis of causal relationships between variables, not processes. Proponents of such studies claim
that their work is done from within a value-free framework" (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000, p. 8)1.
Definition: Qualitative |
Definition: Quantitative |
When speaking of kinds of research, qualitative refers to studies of subjects that are hard to
quantify, such as art history. The term qualitative research tends to be a residual category for almost
any kind of nonquantitative research. [...]
The qualitative-quantitative distinction is often overdrawn. It is difficult to avoid quantitative
elements in the most qualitative subject matter. For examples, "The painter entered his 'blue period' in
the 1890s." And qualitative components are crucial to most good quantitative research, which begins with
theories, concepts, and constructs.
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Said of variables or research that can be handled numerically. Usually contrasted (too sharply)
with qualitative variables and research. Many research designs lend themselves well to collecting both
quantitative and qualitative data, and many variables can be handled either qualitatively or quantitatively.
For example, naturalistic observations can give rise to either or both kinds of data. Interactions can be
counted and timed with a stopwatch or they can be interpreted more holistically. |
Definitions taken from the Dictionary of Statistics & Methodology by W. Paul Vogt.2
Qualitative Research: |
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Quantitative Research: |
The major instrument for data collection and analysis is the qualitative researcher.
Research is "in the field"—conducting interviews, observing and recording behavior.
Data is narrative (words).
Focused on the individual, human level. Rich detail and description are important.
Concerned with process more so than outcomes and results.
Subjective; the researcher immerses him/herself.
Research design is flexible and evolving.
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Questionnaires, inventories, and computers are used as data collection methods.
Data is numerical, statistical.
Large sample sizes are used to produce generalizations for a population.
Research begins with a hypothesis—the goal being to explain a specific phenomena with numbers and objective data.
Objective; the researcher observes but does not actively participate.
Research design is structured and well-tested. |
Research with Informants [Qualitative] |
Research with Subjects [Quantitative] |
1. What do my informants know about their culture that I can discover? |
1. What do I know about a problem that will allow me to formulate and test a hypothesis? |
2. What concepts do my informants use to classify their experiences? |
2. What concepts can I use to test this hypothesis? |
3. How do my informants define these concepts? |
3. How can I operationally define these concepts? |
4. What folk theory do my informants use to explain their experience? |
4. What scientific theory can explain the data? |
5. How can I translate the cultural knowledge of my informants into a cultural description my
colleagues will understand? |
5. How can I interpret the results and report them in the language of my colleagues? |
Table content taken from the The Ethnographic Interview by James P. Spradley, p. 30.3
Qualitative & Quantitative Research Print Resources
Handbook of qualitative research (2000)
Denzin & Lincoln, eds.
Call #: 300.72 H23d 2000 Reference |
Practical research: Planning & design (1997)
By Paul Leedy
Call #: 001.4 L48 |
Handbook of interview research: Context & method (2002)
Gubrium & Holstein, eds.
Call #: 158.39 H23 Reference |
Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches (2003)
By John W. Creswell
Call #: 300.72 C92r |
Handbook of research on multicultural education (2001)
Banks, J. A., ed.
Call #: 370.117 H23m 2001 |
Qualitative-quantitative research methodology: Exploring the
interactive continuum (1998)
By Newman & Benz
Call #: 001.42 N55 |
Quantitative research for the behavioral sciences (1992)
By Celia C. Reaves
Call #: 300.72 R28 |
Media and communication research methods (2000)
By Arthur Asa Berger
Call #: 302.23072 B49c |
Research methods 01/02 (2001)
Jalongo, Gerlach, & Yan, eds.
Call #: 001.42 R43 |
Qualitative research design (1996)
By Joseph Maxwell
Call #: 001.42 M46 |
Qualitative research & evaluation methods (2002)
By Michael Quinn Patton
Call #: 300.723 P32 2002 |
Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and
analysis (2002)
By Sharan B. Merriam
Call #: 300.723 M56 |
The landscape of qualitative research: Theories and issues (1998)
Denzin & Lincoln, eds.
Call #: 300.723 L26 |
Handbook of research on teaching (2001)
Richardson, V., ed.
Call #: 371.10072 H23
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1Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
2Vogt, W. P. (2005). Dictionary of statistics & methodology: A nontechnical guide for the social sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
3Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.
Last revised: April 21, 2009
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