Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
There are two other classifications of research that you might find useful to
understand: quantitative research and qualitative research.
In the simplest terms,
quantitative research
deals with numbers,
measurements, and statistics (quantities);
qualitative research
deals with more
intangible matter, the nature of behavior, feelings, and perceptions (qualities).
Both research types have their benefits, though one or the other might
be best suited to studying certain subjects. These methods often require
different techniques, and they may provide very different kinds of results that
present the researcher with different kinds of information and data.
You might find that your own research will demand one or the other approach,
but you may also find that your work will benefit from a combination of
both types of research. It is important to appreciate that these approaches
to research are not mutually exclusive. The researcher may apply both
approaches as appropriate.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research deals with subjects and phenomena that can be
measured using instrumentation or techniques that give results expressed in
the form of figures. Once gathered, these figures may be presented as hard
data that in turn may then be analyzed and turned into useful information.
This kind of data may then form the basis for predictive modeling, providing
possible outcomes to future events. In this way quantitative research may
involve experimentation and the control of variables. The observed results
of such models may then take a form that provides the basis for further
investigation, study, and additional experimentation.
This form of research is usually undertaken as part of the scientific research
method. The use of statistics naturally depends on accurate figures being
provided by quantitative research.
Researchers engaged in action analysis may use this kind of approach
and the resulting data to examine the efficiency of movement under
certain conditions, such as the measurement of the energy requirements
for locomotion, athletes' performance under given conditions, and the
effectiveness of sports equipment in enhancing performance.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is often undertaken to explore human and animal
behavior and to investigate the reasons behind those behaviors. It may be
used to look for patterns in behavior and to identify possible causes in any
changes in behavior. It may be used to look at decision making, cultural
differences, practices and traditions, and belief systems. It may be used to
conduct research into how people feel and how they then behave as a result
of those feelings. Quantitative research may also be used to provide statistical
data on such behavior.
