recordings, or other transcriptions

from audio and videotapes and other

The advantages and written records and pictures or films’.
disadvantages of
Methods of qualitative research
qualitative and include action research, case study
quantitative research, Delphi studies, grounded
theory, life histories, hermeneutics,
research methods. or general narrative enquiry or
participant observer research.
Emphasis is placed on the
By Rob O’Neill
importance of looking at variables in
the natural setting in which they are
located. Detailed data is captured
In this paper I will discuss the through open-ended questions using
advantages and disadvantages of techniques such as historical
qualitative and quantitative research analysis, focus groups, interviews,
methods. I will describe each method surveys, questionnaires, and diaries.
and relate them to various research Qualitative research is ‘mainly
paradigms and strategies explaining
concerned with the properties, the
some of the most common data state and the character’,
capture methods that are employed. (Labuschagne 2003).
I will then introduce some of the
‘theoretical’ and ‘practical’ issues to Quantitative research is more easily
consider when assessing which defined as the collection of numerical
research method best suits a and statistical data. It is built upon
particular study, followed by a the ‘positivism’ paradigm, and is
description of the pro’s and con’s of perceived as the scientific approach
each method. to research employing ‘experimental’
and ‘quasi-experimental’ strategies.
Qualitative research methods can be Harvey (2002) describes quantitative
described as naturalistic, data as ‘data which can be sorted,
anthropological, and ethnographic classified, measured in a strictly
and are founded on ‘post-positivism’ “objective” way - they are capable of
and ‘interpretivism’ paradigms. being accurately described by a set
Byrne (2001) states that ‘any of rules or formulae or strict
definition of qualitative research procedures which then make their
would be elusive, vague, and
definition (if not always their
imprecise’ due to the term interpretation) unambiguous and
‘qualitative’ encapsulating such a independent of individual
‘broad umbrella of research judgments’.
methods’. However, Byrne attempts
to define qualitative research as Both research methods have their
‘inquiries of knowledge that are own individual strengths and
outside the framework prescribed by weaknesses. These need to be
the scientific method, as well as recognised so that the most suitable
assumptions of inferential statistics’. method can be applied to a research
project. Issues to consider when
Other commentators agree with this assessing methods can be identified
ambiguity of definition. Preissle as ‘theoretical’ or ‘practical’
(2002) confirms that ‘qualitative (Frechtling & Sharp 1997).
research is a loosely defined
category of research designs or Theoretical issues centre on the
models, all of which elicit verbal, value of the data types, the relative
visual, tactile, olfactory, and scientific rigor of the data, or the
gustatory data in the form of
basic underlying philosophies of
descriptive narratives like field notes, evaluation, whereas practical issues

Rob O’Neill The advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
centre on credibility of findings, staff
skills, costs, and time constraints. In contrast, the use of standardised
methods in quantitative research
Qualitative research usually achieves allows for greater objectivity and
a greater level of depth and detail accuracy of results. Generally,
than quantitative techniques, quantitative methods are designed to
however fewer subjects tend to be provide summaries of data that
studied resulting in a study being support generalisations about the
more difficult to generalise. phenomenon under study. In order
to accomplish this, quantitative
Qualitative methods are preferred research usually involves few
when researching sensitive subjects. variables and many cases, and
Rather than being constrained by employs prescribed procedures to
pre-set answers, they allow sensitive ensure validity and reliability. Using
subjects to be approached in a standards means that the research
sensitive way by allowing the can be replicated, and then analysed
researcher to employ personal skills and compared with similar studies.
to help lessen the difficulties of the Kruger (2003) confirms that
subject matter. ‘quantitative methods allow us to
summarize vast sources of
Qualitative methods create openness information and facilitate
between all parties and can help comparisons across categories and
generate new theories. Participating over time’. However the research is
subjects can discuss issues that are often carried out in an unnatural,
important to them, rather than artificial environment so that a level
responding to closed questions, and of control can be applied to the
they can also clarify ambiguities or exercise. This level of control might
confusion over concepts. ‘It certainly not normally be in place in the real
seems reasonable to suggest that world yielding laboratory results as
one may have a better opposed to real world results. In
understanding of a community addition preset answers will not
members situation by reading a necessarily reflect how people really
descriptive passage than just looking feel about a subject and in some
at demographic statistics’, (Kruger, cases might just be the closest
2003). Additionally, observation can match.
take place allowing attitudes to be
revealed, and patterning and The development of standard
interrelationships to be observed. questions by researchers can lead to
‘structural’ bias and false
However this openness and greater representation, where the data
interaction with the researcher can in actually reflects the view of them
some cases be counter-productive. instead of the participating subject.
Some subjects can feel However, personal bias can be
uncomfortable in the presence of an avoided by researchers keeping a
interviewer and give answers under 'distance' from participating subjects
duress, additionally influences like and employing subjects unknown to
gender and ethnicity of researchers them.
can impact on some of the answers
given by the participating subject. Quantitative methods allow for a
broader study, involving a greater
Qualitative results are more difficult number of subjects, and enhancing
to aggregate and therefore make the generalisation of the results.
systematic comparisons. It can also Unfortunately, in comparison to
be extremely difficult to replicate qualitative methods, quantitative
research due to the lack of methods collect a much narrower
structured design or standardised and sometimes superficial dataset.
procedures. Results are limited as they provide

Rob O’Neill The advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
numerical descriptions rather than
detailed narrative and generally Both research methods can provide a
provide less elaborate accounts of valuable contribution to the collection
human perception. Additionally, of scientific knowledge. They can be
these statistics can be humanely used together in a complementary
insignificant, therefore yielding ‘mixed method approach’.
insignificant results. Kruger (2003) Amaratunga, D. et al.(1992) state
discusses how it can be ‘difficult to that ‘there is a strong suggestion
get the real meaning of an issue by within the research community that
looking at numbers’. research, both quantitative and
qualitative, is best thought of as
Quantitative methods are ideally complementary and should therefore
suited for finding out who, what, be mixed in research of many kinds’,
when, and where (Day, 1998), and refers to Das (1983)
however they are inappropriate for
the collection of behavioural data. ‘…qualitative and quantitative
Questions have to be direct and methodologies are not antithetic or
easily quantified, and made available divergent, rather they focus on the
to a sample of no less than two different dimensions of the same
hundred participants to permit phenomenon. Sometimes, these
reliable statistical analysis (Urban dimensions may appear to be
Wallace & Associates, 1995). confluent: but even in these
instances, where they apparently
Quantitative methods only deal with diverge, the underlying unity may
issues known at the beginning of the become visible on deeper
research project as this is when the penetration … The situational
questions are decided and contingencies and objectives of the
documented (McCullough, 1995). researcher would seem to play a
They can also be ‘quite complex and decisive role in the design and
require considerable investment for execution of the study…’
proper understanding and use’
(Kruger, 2003). Kruger also warns In this way the researcher can take
that people could ‘tune out elaborate advantage of the pro’s of each
statistics, creating difficulties in the methodology, making it possible to
utilisation of the products of gather more information than if
research’. using a single method, and to
substantiate qualitative research with
To conclude, I have defined and quantitative data.
described qualitative and
quantitative research methods and References
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of quantitative research lies in the
researchers ability to summarise Das, T.H (1983) ‘Qualitative research
results in statistically meaningful in organisational behaviour’, Journal
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Rob O’Neill The advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
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Through Qualitative Research’,
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Rob O’Neill The advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research methods.