Solutions
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
Fundamentally, qualitative research deals with words and meanings, while quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics. Both these methodologies play a crucial role in extracting knowledge and insights.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research uses structured approach to derive results or facts about a topic and is expressed in numerical figures. Methods used are experiments/pre-tests, observations and surveys with closed and open ended question. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviours, and other defined variables, and to generalize results from a larger sample population.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research uses an unstructured approach. This aims to gather in-depth insights from conversational methods discovering depth of knowledge and generating hypotheses. The results are expressed in words.
Methods include open-ended discussion, observations and exploring concepts.
| Qualitative Research | Quantitative Research |
|---|---|
| Opinions, Experience and observations | Numbers and Graphs |
| Smaller Sample Size | Larger Sample Size |
| Open-Ended Questions | Closed-Ended Questions |
| Subjective | Objective |
| Holistic | Specific |
| Non-Statistical, findings expressed in words | Statistical, findings expressed in numbers |
Data collection methods
Quantitative and qualitative data can be collected using various methods. It is important to use a survey programming strategy with a data collection method that will help answer your research question(s).
How you execute your data collection method is very important.
1. What do you want to do? Explore or Define2. How much do you want to spend on research? Cost is a serious factor for the type of research you need to invest in.
3. How much time do you have? Research is a time taking process, if you don’t invest the right amount of time and tools you might not have the end results that you were interested to look at Here are a few research methods that we can help you with.
Quantitative
data collection methods:
data collection methods:
Online Surveys: A structured way of collecting opinions from targeted and random survey participants, this can be done through Online, In-Person, over the phone.
Quantitative
data collection methods:
data collection methods:
Depth Interviews: An unstructured way of asking opinions. It’s done through real-time posing of questions, probing, asking open-ended questions and observations. This is done through TDIs (Telephonic Depth Interviews), IDIs (In-Depth Interviews), and WATI (Web Assisted Telephonic Interviews) etc…
When to use qualitative or quantitative research
Use quantitative research if you want to confirm or test something (Product Testing or customer satisfaction)
Use qualitative research if you want to understand something (product concept or customer experience)