Here is a definition and explanation of quantitative research methods:
Quantitative research is the systematic scientific investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships.
Here is a definition and explanation of qualitative research methods.
Research involving detailed, verbal descriptions of characteristics, cases, and settings. Qualitative research typically uses observation, interviewing, and document review to collect data. Simply put, it investigates the why and how of decision making, as compared to what, where, and when of quantitative research. Hence, the need is for smaller but focused samples rather than large random samples, which qualitative research categorizes data into patterns as the primary basis for organizing and reporting results.
Now think about the peer reviewed journal articles you're read. Do they seem to be using qualitative or quantitative methods? How can you tell? ? How can you tell?
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4 comments:
I think that I have at least one of each. I have a 24 page paper that is mostly chemical equations and big 5 syllable words. There is little or no opinion or feeling in this paper just the facts. This I would call quantitative. Another of my papers has pictures of the land dying and lists of all the endangered animals being affected, as well as many guilt ridden examples of how horrible humans are. All the facts are cited from other sources so this one I feel would be qualitative. (Was I supposed to answer this or was it rhetorical?)
So I guess the answer is yes, we are supposed to answer this so I will expand some. I had one article that was doing a study on the soilt degradation of campsites it was all chemical equasions and hypothises with a final outcome that actually looked grim. The other 2 papers were left wing feel good save the planet stuff with emotional examples used to pull heart-strings.
I definately think both of my articles are qualitative because they really do not talk about numbers or statistical facts. They mostly talk about the history of stem cell research and the effects it will have on the future and the future of the demand for it.
All three of my articles are qualitative. There made up of cold hard facts that truthfully bore me. There is o emotional fluff or parts driven by emotions. One even includes a number of pages with data and statistics from a research they conducted.
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