Another theoretical problem is, researcher often faced the dilemma of, “Does the use of quantitative and qualitative research approaches in a research project mean one is combining the methods, or the methodologies?” Sandelowski (2000), has suggested in his paper that the key difference between using the terms qualitative and quantitative. Bryman (2006) claimed that rather than implying a mixture of more than one research approach, the term combined or mixed may offer some initial clarification for the researcher that more than one research style is being employed. Therefore, it is also important for researcher to consider the theory of using the combined methodologies considering the warranted of the broader rules and principles that will govern a research method. A good research design ensures congruence between the purpose, theory, sampling strategy and methods. In this regard, what specific techniques will be used to collect data? However, a research design or framework usually stems directly from the research questions Two common approaches that are used in combining quantitative and qualitative methods in building research questions are- separate quantitative and qualitative research questions and overarching combined research question at the beginning and then expanded or broken down into quantitative and qualitative sub-questions (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009). For instance, example of an overarching research question is to explain how and why political advertisements of the 2004 presidential candidates failed to engage young adults. Example of sub-questions from the overarching question are- How does the interaction between audience-level and media-based framing contribute to college students’ interpretations of the mes... ... middle of paper ... ...2007) ‘Integration and publications as indicators of “yield” from mixed methods studies’ Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1,147-63. Rice, P. L., & Ezzy, D. (1999). Qualitative research methods: A health focus. South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. Sandelowski, M. (2000). Combining qualitative and quantitative sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques in mixed method studies. Research in Nursing and Health, 23, 246-255. Stange, K.C. (2006). Crabtree Publishing Mixed Methods Research. Ann Fam Med, 4 Stern, P. (1992). Eroding grounded theory. In B. Glaser (Ed.), Grounded theory 1984 - 1994 (Vol. 1, pp. 53-63). Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press Teddlie, C. and Tashakkori, A. Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Los Angeles: Sage, 2009, p. 133.
Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods.(3rd ed).Thousand Oaks, Califorinia : Sage Publications, Inc . Retrieved on May 10th, 2014, From http://books.google.com
In the previous chapters I discussed the problem of the lack of healthy eating promotion programs in schools are leaving parents and students uneducated about how to purchase healthy items which is leading to childhood obesity. I also discussed how the problem is being addressed, as well as the theory of social constructionism. In this chapter, I will discuss the specific methodology I plan to use and the three different types of data collection I plan to employ to carry out my study. This study will use a qualitative approach to study and address the issue of the lack of healthy eating promotion in schools. The three types of data collection I plan to use are: direct observation, focus groups and a questionnaire. These methods will be clarified later in this chapter.
To fulfill accuracy in this research, the main strategy that is used is the mixed methods, which lies under the post-positivist philosophy. This strategy is mainly the result of the combination of the positivist and the anti-positivist philosophies. In their book Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, Creswell and Plano Clark (2011, p. 5) state that the mixed methods technique “[…] involves philosophical assumptions that guide the direction of the collection and analysis of data and the mixture of qualitative and quantitative data in a single study or series of studies.”
The information collated in this report was collected from a variety of secondary sources including websites, books, documentaries, statistics and academic journals. A report format was selected to ensure that information concerning the guiding questions were successfully answered. While surveys were conducted information collected was discredited due to the reliability of the information collected.
According to Smith (1983) quantitative research is to explain, predict and develop laws that can be universally applied and Qualitative research is the interpretation and understanding of what people give to their situation. The researchers clearly stated the purpose of their studies, aim, objectiv...
The father of quantitative analysis, Rene Descartes, thought that in order to know and understand something, you have to measure it (Kover, 2008). Quantitative research has two main types of sampling used, probabilistic and purposive. Probabilistic sampling is when there is equal chance of anyone within the studied population to be included. Purposive sampling is used when some benchmarks are used to replace the discrepancy among errors. The primary collection of data is from tests or standardized questionnaires, structured interviews, and closed-ended observational protocols. The secondary means for data collection includes official documents. In this study, the data is analyzed to test one or more expressed hypotheses. Descriptive and inferential analyses are the two types of data analysis used and advance from descriptive to inferential. The next step in the process is data interpretation, and the goal is to give meaning to the results in regards to the hypothesis the theory was derived from. Data interpretation techniques used are generalization, theory-driven, and interpretation of theory (Gelo, Braakmann, Benetka, 2008). The discussion should bring together findings and put them into context of the framework, guiding the study (Black, Gray, Airasain, Hector, Hopkins, Nenty, Ouyang, n.d.). The discussion should include an interpretation of the results; descriptions of themes, trends, and relationships; meanings of the results, and the limitations of the study. In the conclusion, one wants to end the study by providing a synopsis and final comments. It should include a summary of findings, recommendations, and future research (Black, Gray, Airasain, Hector, Hopkins, Nenty, Ouyang, n.d.). Deductive reasoning is used in studies...
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Department of sociology,2006. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 November 2011].
This essay is going to critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using surveys and questionnaires as a method of Socio-Legal research. When conducting socio-legal research, a number of methods can be used to collect useful information.
In this paper, I will define quantitative and qualitative research methods and provide examples in the context of social issues which will hopefully provide insight into how this methods are properly applied.
This essay intends to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the quantitative and qualitative approaches to research which addresses young people and bullying using two journal articles. The first article (quantitative) aims to “establish the relationship between recurrent peer victimisation and the onset of reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in the early teen years” (Bond et al. 2001, p. 480) while the second article (qualitative) aims to “investigate the nature of teenage girls’ indirect aggression” (Owens et al. 2000, p. 70).The two articles will be critically compared in terms of research design, methods used, approach to data analysis, reported results and the plausibility and appropriateness of the conclusions and recommendations posed. The aim of this essay is thus to evaluate and assess the methods of social science research currently undertaken in published research.
….both quantitative and qualitative research are important and useful. The goal of mixed methods research is not to replace either of these approaches but rather to draw from the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of both in single research studies and across studies.
Traditional research may use quantitative or qualitative research method. According to Hendricks (2009), quantitative research is a general conclusion based on hard data. Hen-dricks describe quantitativ...
Research Journal of Social Science and Management 1.4 (2011): 47-56. Print. The. Lenhart, Amanda, Kristen Purcell, Aaron Smith, and Kathryn Zickuhr.
Another option available to a researcher is mixed methods which focuses on collecting, analyzing, and mixing both qualitative and quantitative data in a single study; also, it is based on the premise that the use of quantitative and qualitative combination provides a better understanding of the research problem than either approach alo...
The Importance and Appropriateness of Utilizing Different Methodologies for Research. Introduction The process of research entails the logical as well as systematic search for useful data and information with regard to a specific topic (Jha, 2008). It is also comprised of the investigation of the best, most cost effective and appropriate solutions to both social and scientific issues, following an objective and logical analysis. Jha, (2008) defines research as the search for knowledge and the discovery of the truth. During this process, the data can be gathered from a wide pool of sources among them interviews, books, nature among others.The data can then be analyzed with the appropriate data analysis tools, so as to report the findings