socw 6301 assignment

1

2

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Student’s Name

Department, University

Course Code: Name of Course

Instructor’s Name

Due Date

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

The quantitative research approach is also known as empirical research. It defines research dealing with numbers and statistics and based on aspects that are measured precisely and accurately. Conversely, qualitative research uses words and meanings to interpret data. It is also known as naturalistic research. It is based on aspects of research that cannot be precisely or accurately measured (Queirós, Faria & Almeida, 2017). Researchers express qualitative research in words to help the readers understand the concepts of the research paper. The second difference between the methodologies is qualitative research is used to explore, make discoveries, and construct a theory or hypothesis from the data gathered while quantitative research is used to test hypotheses and make predictions that will inform recommendations. The third difference is sample sizes for qualitative research are small while quantitative research uses larger sample sizes that can be randomly selected.

Qualitative research forms explored by researchers are ethnography, case studies, case reports, and lived experiences (Mohajan, 2018). The quantitative research approach adopts methods such as experimental research, control trials, clinical trials, and cohort studies. Data is gathered through surveys, close-ended questionnaires, observation, and experimentation (Rutberg & Bouikidis, 2018). The approach that fits my study best is the qualitative approach. The proposed study will involve the construction of a theory from the data collected.

The proposed research question seeks to understand the impact of homelessness on at-risk youth. The methodology will maintain cultural sensitivity by incorporating the population's cultural beliefs, attitudes, values, and norms into the research design. Integrating values and norms during data collection will encourage participant interaction. The data collected during the study will be expressed in words to help the readers understand the impact of homelessness.

References

Mohajan, H. K. (2018). Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment, and People, 7(1), 23-48.

Queirós, A., Faria, D., & Almeida, F. (2017). Strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. European Journal of Education Studies, 0. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.1017

Rutberg, S., & Bouikidis, C.D. (2018). Focusing on the fundamentals: A simplistic differentiation between qualitative and quantitative research. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 45(2), 209- 212.