What is the difference between
qualitative and quantitative research? Honestly, this is something that I
discussed freshman year and haven’t really heard the terms since. Therefore,
when I started researching the topics again, I was surprised that I didn’t
remember these terms at all.
However, when it comes to your own
specific research, one type is not better than the other. It depends on what
you are researching to determine which style you use.
Qualitative Research – Is all
about exploring the unknown. It is used when we don’t know what to expect, to
define the problem or develop an approach to a problem.
Common
methods used: focus groups, dyads, in-depth interviews, uninterrupted
observation, bulletin boards, ethnographic observation.
Quantitative
Research – Focuses on the numbers. It is conclusive in its purpose as it tries
to quantify the problem and understand how prevalent it is by looking for
results to a larger population.
Common
methods used: surveys (online, phone, paper), audits, points of purchase, and
click-streams.
When thinking about both types of
research, sometimes it is best to use both since they provide different
perspectives and usually complement each other. While one helps you explore
what you want to know, the other one will give you measurable information.
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Many companies or
large corporations tend to use quantitative research more often because it
provides a specific number or outcome. Some examples include; when dealers call
customers to ask them how their customer service was or when a customer is
given a taste test of product A and product B and ask them which product is
better. With this type of research it allows companies to provide numbers,
percentages and statistics to clients that helps them see the specifics of the
company.
On the other hand, it
can still be beneficial to companies to look into qualitative research. When
they are looking for customer’s opinions or thoughts on maybe a particular
product or situation, they can use focus groups or interviews to help gather
that information. It normally will have a smaller number of respondents but
helps them determine trends or patterns.
When thinking about how qualitative
and quantitative research come into play with social media the only thing that
I can think of are survey questions that are posted on Facebook. This survey
typically asks if Justin Bieber or One Direction is better, but to the person
who is asking the question, I’m sure they get a great quantitative response.
However, I’m sure there are millions
of other ways people collect quantitative and qualitative data through social
media sites. Any ideas?
For more information on these topics
check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_research (yes, I used Wikipedia, and yes it was
helpful!)
