The Notion of Quantitative and Qualitative Divide in the Social Science

Introduction to Educational Research

Question 1
The notion of Quantitative and Qualitative divide in the social science
Social science is considered as the backbone of natural sciences and it uses empirical
and measurable methods to get a conclusion. As the study of natural science uses the
scientific method, likewise social science uses quantitative and qualitative research methods
to support their research analysis. ‘Quantitative’ method represents some mathematical data,
theory, hypothesis examining, a statistical model that integrates the fundamental concept of
social research. It has a generalized approach towards its findings. In contrast, Qualitative
research method has openness and responsive to the subject. Qualitative research represents
the data collecting and analysis technique. It characterizes logic, ethnography, open-ended
interview, Case-study, comparative method, introspection literary criticism, historical
evidence, etc. Qualitative research works in inductive progression to bring insight for the
researcher whereas Quantitative method deductive in its approach represented by a well-
organized data structured technique. There are two schools of thought: one group of
individuals believe that these two methods are entirely separate and the other group believes
the best of two alternatives can be mingled for the best solution. Maxwell (2015) argues that
a researcher can use both alternative methods simultaneously by bringing the best of both;
whereas Young (2010) refutes by saying that this combined method disobeys the politics of
legitimacy regarded with the choice of method. Levitt, Motulsky, Wertz, Morrow &
Ponterotto (2017) concluded the debate by aligning Qualitative research with quantitative
research method; as per him, the quantitative data is derived from the qualitative analysis
whereas qualitative data is expressed or can be changed through quantitative numerical.
How productive is this distinction in the social sciences?
The purpose of the research is to seek a solution or answer to a problem. Natural
science follows the objective method, whereas the movement of social science from 1960
brings a distinctive choice by considering the subjective approach. The qualitative research is
prone to subjective whereas the quantitative is strongly objective. Before the movement of
the naturalistic approach towards research, social reality is judged by the objective approach
and is believed to be external to the human being. Naturalist movement starts to consider the
influence of social reality on individuals, their subjective experience which is judged by
qualitative analysis. In order to find out the importance of this distinction, the researchers
allow various ontological, epistemological questions while conducting positivism,

interpretivism, and critical paradigm. The questionnaires used in research are considered as a
quantitative method, on the other hand, interviews and observations are categorized as
qualitative. Young (2010) assumes that quantitative brings out positivist ontologies while
quantitative is indulged in interpretive and critical paradigms. Critical research like Feminism
is relatively considered qualitative approaches than preferring quantitative techniques.
Practically, the method is too complicated when interviews are formulated in a numerical or
structured manner and non-numerical answers are converted to numeric form. Likewise,
surveys are conducted through open-ended answers which help in building the profundity.
The distinction is productive as quantitative research can prove an assumption through a large
scale representation of data which is often wrongly viewed by assembling facts in a
qualitative approach. On the contrary, the qualitative approach is less focussed on the breadth
of data, rather aimed at bringing the depth in insight. The distinction implies the
epistemological commitment of social research method which points out the epistemological
incompatibility between qualitative and quantitative method (Burton & Bartlett, 2009).
Bryman (2016) points out the paradigm argument which says mixed research method has
incommensurable paradigms where integration is made superficially, no grounded discipline
is followed.
Question 2
How do researchers formulate research questions?
The researchers have to formulate the research question initially before starting the
research as it points out the challenging areas or the areas of concerned. A formulation of the
research question is evaluated by the use of an acronym, "FINERMAPS". This term denotes
feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant, manageable, appropriate, potential value,
publishability, and systematic (Mohajan, 2017). A different format of Research question can
be formulated based on the existence of the phenomenon, description and classification,
composition, relationship, comparative, and causality (Khan, 2014).
 The primary step of developing a Research Question is to identify on the wider
subject of interest that leads the researcher to investigate (Walter, 2017). For example,
hormone levels in hyperthyroidism;
 The second step is to focus on the general views on that subject. The researcher has to
study the existing literature on that topic. For example, studies on thyroxine (T4) and
triiodothyronine (T3) levels in hyperthyroidism.