Here are the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research approaches:
Qualitative research is focused on understanding experiences and perspectives through open-ended questions and in-depth discussions, while quantitative research relies on standardized measures that can be statistically analyzed.
Some additional differences include:
- Qualitative research aims to gather non-numerical data like words, pictures or objects to understand meanings, experiences and views. Quantitative research gathers numerical data to test hypotheses.
- Qualitative methods are more flexible and exploratory, while quantitative methods have a fixed design to test hypotheses.
- Data analysis in qualitative research involves identifying themes and patterns, while quantitative analysis uses statistical techniques.
- Sample sizes are typically smaller in qualitative research to