Qualitative And Quantitative Research

Interests and accomplishments in nursing research have been increasing in recent years, and it is very important mainly because it directly influences the practice-based evidence. Consequently, there is a greater necessity to understand how and when the qualitative and quantitative methodologies should be used, as well as the differences and similarities between them.

Quantitative research translates basically everything that can be measured and is used to highlight, describe and analyze a problem, while qualitative research has an exploratory character because it encourages the participants to think and speak freely about the phenomenon or topic, and is used to describe complex things that can not be quantified.

Identify the problem is the first step in both. The theme in qualitative will always be a phenomenon because it is subjective, unique and exploratory, while in quantitative the theme is a problem or hypothesis that will be evaluated and its result can be expressed through numbers. Determine the purpose of the study, which is the reason why the study is being done, is the second step in both and needs to be clearly presented, usually in the introduction.

In quantitative, the researcher should formulate a research question that is a specific question that he awaits to be answered in the study. After this, he should develop a theoretical or conceptual framework, which can be defined as concepts and theories related to the topic and that is used as a foundation for conducting the research. He should also identify the study assumptions which are things or concepts that are assumed as true by researcher, but that don’t need necessarily to be proved. Then, the researcher must formulate the hypothesis that shows the association ...

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...ralizations, and this can not happen with qualitative findings; however, both results should be used in nursing practice that is the last step of research process.

Another difference between these two methods is related to researcher. While in quantitative research the researcher is separated of the study, in qualitative he is part of the study and has a strict relationship with participants, as a result the confidentiality is considered essential, and thus the researcher should protect the participants’ identity.

Due to the increase in interest and conducting nursing research, is of great relevance to draw the comparative profiles of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Understanding the dissimilarities that exist between them is very important so that the person who will conduct the research can distinguish in which situations each method should be used.