Methods of Research for Engineering Students, A Practical Approach
CHAPTER 5.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the chapter, the student should be able to:
•
determine the difference between quantitative and qualitative research
INTRODUCTION
Variables concerning your research will be falling into either
qualitative or quantitative. These characteristics of your variable will define if
your research is qualitative or quantitative. It is impeccable to understand what
is the type of your research to determine what are the statistical tools for
analysis to be used when treating your data.
QUANTITATIVE METHOD
Quantitative research methods focus on objective measurements and
statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data acquired through polls,
questionnaires, and surveys, as well as modifying pre-existing statistical data
using computing tools. Quantitative research is concerned with collecting
numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or explaining a
phenomenon. Introduction, literature and theory, methodology, results, and
comments are all included in the final written report. [1]
QuestionPro [2], an online data collection website for over 14 years,
stated the following distinctive characteristics of quantitative research:
•
•
•
Structured Tools. Quantitative data is collected using structured
techniques such as surveys, polls, and questionnaires. The use of such
structural methods aids in the collection of detailed and actionable
information from survey respondents.
Sample Size. Quantitative research is carried out on a representative
sample size of the target market. To strengthen the study purpose,
appropriate sampling strategies must be employed when generating
the sample.
Close-ended Questions. Closed-ended questions are developed in
accordance with the study's goal. These questions are frequently used
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Methods of Research for Engineering Students, A Practical Approach
•
•
•
in quantitative research since they aid in the collection of quantitative
data.
Prior Studies. Before gathering input from respondents, various
elements relevant to the research issue are investigated.
Quantitative Data. Tables, charts, graphs, and other non-numerical
forms are commonly used to portray quantitative data. This makes it
simple to comprehend the information gathered as well as to
demonstrate the market research's veracity.
Generalization of Results. The findings of this study approach can be
used to the entire population in order to adopt relevant improvement
measures.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Qualitative research is a type of naturalistic inquiry that aims to learn
more about social phenomena in their natural setting. It focuses on the "why"
of social phenomena rather than the "what," and it is based on people's actual
experiences as meaning-makers in their daily lives. For the study of human
phenomena, qualitative researchers use a variety of methods of inquiry,
including biography, case study, historical analysis, discourse analysis,
ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology, rather than logical and
statistical procedures.[3]
This strategy considers not just "what" people believe, but also "why."
Consider a convenience store that wants to increase its customer base.
According to a systematic observation, the number of men visiting this store is
higher. Conducting an in-depth interview of potential customers in the category
is a smart way to figure out why women weren't visiting the business. For
example, after successfully interviewing female customers, visiting nearby
stores and malls, and selecting them through random sampling, it was
discovered that the store lacked enough items for women, and thus there were
fewer women visiting the store, which could only be understood by personally
interacting with them and understanding why they didn't visit because there
were more male products than female products. [4]
Kimberly Leaonard [5] stated that there are six types of qualitative
research namely:
1.
Phenomenological Method. The purpose of the phenomenological
research approach is to describe how each participant experiences a
given event. Interviews, observations, and surveys are used to acquire
information from subjects in this method. The study of how people
KOSL 2022
Methods of Research for Engineering Students, A Practical Approach
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
feel about things during an event or activity is known as phenology.
Businesses utilize this strategy to create systems to assist sales
personnel in closing deals in methods that are appropriate for their
personalities.
Ethnographic Model. The ethnographic model is one of the most wellknown and extensively used qualitative research approaches; it
immerses respondents in a culture that they are unfamiliar with. The
purpose is to discover and define the culture's traits in the same
manner that anthropologists study a group's cultural difficulties and
motives. This strategy frequently involves the researcher becoming
immersed as a subject for long periods of time. Ethnography is critical
to understanding customers in a business model. Ethnographic
research involves testing products on oneself or in beta groups before
releasing them to the general public.
Grounded Theory Method. The grounded theory approach aims to
explain why a course of action took the path it did. Grounded theory
considers a broad range of subjects. Theoretical models are created
using data from existing genetic, biological, and psychological
research disciplines. When conducting user or satisfaction surveys to
determine why customers utilize a company's products or services,
businesses employ grounded theory. This information aids businesses
in maintaining client happiness and loyalty.
Case Study Model. Unlike grounded theory, the case study
methodology focuses on a single test topic in detail. A person or
family, a business or organization, or a town or city can be the subject.
Data is gathered from a variety of sources and synthesized into a
larger conclusion using the details. When marketing to new clients,
businesses frequently use case studies to demonstrate how their
business solutions solve a problem for the subject.
Historical Model. The historical approach of qualitative research is
used to describe past events in order to better understand current
patterns and predict future decisions. This model employs resources to
answer questions based on a hypothetical idea before testing it for any
potential deviations. Businesses can use historical data from prior ad
campaigns, as well as the targeted demographic, to test new
campaigns and determine which is the most effective.
Narrative Model. The narrative model takes place over a long period
of time and collects data as it happens. It takes subjects from a
beginning point and evaluates events when difficulties or
opportunities arise, much like a story narrative, however the final
narrative isn't usually in chronological sequence. The story method is
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Methods of Research for Engineering Students, A Practical Approach
used by businesses to build buyer personas and identify innovations
that appeal to a target market.
References
1. Babbie, Earl R. The Practice of Social Research. 12th ed. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Cengage, 2010; Muijs, Daniel. Doing Quantitative Research in
Education with SPSS. 2nd edition. London: SAGE Publications, 2010.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Sage publications.
https://lib-guides.letu.edu/quantresearch#:~:text=Quantitative%20research
%20deals%20in%20numbers,%2C%20free%2Dflowing%20manner%5D.
2. https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-research/
3.
https://libguides.uta.edu/quantitative_and_qualitative_research/qual#:~:text=Q
ualitative%20research%20is%20a%20process,in%20their%20every%20day
%20lives.
4. https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-research-methods/
5. https://bizfluent.com/info-8580000-six-types-qualitative-research.html
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Methods of Research for Engineering Students, A Practical Approach
Name: ________________________________
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Professor:______________________________
Date:_______________
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Score: _______________
Activity 5. Qualitative and Quantitative Method
I. Instruction:
In your Activity II Part II you have listed five (5) Descriptive Titles. Retrieve
those titles and identify each and every titles if it is quantitative or qualitative
type. (10 points)
Title
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Type
Explanation