Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches Lecture 4 Research Methods Geog 316 JA Yaro

What is a research strategy Research strategy means the general orientation to the conduct of social research A research strategy is a plan of action that gives direction to your efforts, enabling you to conduct research systematically rather than haphazardly. Quantitative research can be construed as the research strategy that emphasizes quantification in the collection and analysis of data – numeracy Qualitative research can be construed as the research strategy that emphasizes interpretation rather than quantification in the collection and analysis of data

What is qualitative research? Concerned with words rather than numbers Inductive view of the relationship between theory and research Adopts an interpretivist position Stress is on the understanding of the social world through an examination of the interpretation of that world by its participants Constructionist in that social properties are outcomes of the interactions between individuals, rather than phenomena

Features of qualitative research Data can come in the form of words, images, impressions, gestures, or tones which represent real events The word “qualitative” implies an emphasis on process and an in-depth understanding of perceived meanings, interpretations, and behaviors, Qualitative data collection and analysis are labor intensive The general rule in qualitative research is that you continue to sample until you are not getting any new information or are no longer gaining new insights.

An outline of the main steps in qualitative research 1. General research questions 2. Selecting research sites and subjects 3. Collection of relevant data 5b. Collection of further data 4. Interpretation of data 5. Conceptual and theoretical framework 5a. Tighter specification of the research questions 6. Write up findings and conclusions

When to use qualitative research strategy Used to study human behavior and behavior changes Study the variations of complex human behavior in context Connecting quantitative data to behavior using qualitative methods Use qualitative methods to find patterns Hypothesis-generating or testing New area of research Causes and effects Exploratory study

WHAT IS QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH? It is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data are utilised to obtain information about the world It exhibits a strong link between theory and research Deductive with an objectivist conception of social reality. They pose the questions who, what, when, where, how much, how many, how often? Quantification is preoccupied with measurement, causality, generalization and replication. Data is hard, rigorous, credible, and scientific. Quantitative research is rigid and formalised with rules of strict practice. Quantitative research provides snapshots of events at fixed historical periods

Survey research Describes a population- it counts and describes ‘what is out there’. It is an invaluable tool when primary data are required about people, their behaviour, attitudes, and opinions and their awareness of specific issues Involves systematic observation or interviewing. Extensive: Used to quickly and/or easily get lots of information from people The three most important considerations for the surveyor are: speed, low cost, and increased accuracy and analysis of the data. Social scientists use the cross-sectional design, which asks questions of people at one point in time. Also longitudinal panel studies Large-scale, small-scale, and cross-cultural studies Survey research uses Questionnaires

Quantitative research differs from qualitative research in the following ways The data is usually gathered using more structured research instruments The results provide less detail on behaviour, attitudes and motivation The results are based on larger sample sizes that are representative of the population, The research can usually be replicated or repeated, given it high reliability; and The analysis of the results is more objective.