Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Research

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Introduction
Research is defined as study which is conducted regarding a particular area of concern or
a problem through the use of scientific methods. Research can also be defined as the process
which is used to describe, explain, control and predict the observed phenomenon. There are
several purposes which make scientists to conduct research (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).
Research can be undertaken to explore research questions which may or may not provide a
conclusion to the study been conducted. Investigations are performed to find solutions to new
problems which have not been explored before. This paper focuses on addressing the quantitative
approach to research, a qualitative approach to study and the benefits and limitations of this
research approaches.
A Quantitative Approach to Research
The quantitative research approach is the investigation of a situation which gives exact
measurements and qualifications which are attached to a rigorous and controlled design. The
primary purpose of carrying out a quantitative research approach is to measure concepts and
variables which are objectively in the numerical and statistical process. It is also carried out to
measure the relationship between variables (Green & Thorogood, 2018). Quantitative research
methods are obtained from research design, and it generally includes interventions, samples, data
collection, instruments, and data analysis. In others situation, this approach requires the use of
interviews, questionnaires, and computers (Neuman, 2013). In the medical area, quantitative
research ranges from trials for new treatment techniques and medications to surveying patients
and healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals use quantitative research design if the lack
of solutions to particular medical issue and they want to research so that they can be able to
gather useful information which can settle the problem. There are various types of quantitative

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research approaches. The commonly used design approaches are experimental, quasi-
experimental and non-experimental (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).
A Qualitative Approach to Research
Qualitative research is used to evaluate a social phenomenon. Researchers in this
approach uses open end questions to interview individuals. A qualitative method is always
applied when the problem is not well known. Qualitative research approach enables the
researcher to be able to understand human behavior in depth. This is because it deals with social
aspects of life (Berger, 2015). Researchers can reduce the number of errors which are
encountered during the research through the use of interviews and creation of an environment in
which people who are interviewed feel comfortable and as a result the answer interview
questions correctly and thus minimizing errors (Punch, 2013). Most research prefers applying a
case study in a qualitative approach. The purpose of the case study is usually to collect
information which can be used by researchers to gain knowledge about people and the challenges
which they are facing in various situations. There are different types of qualitative research
design. This design includes ethnography research which reveals the way culture is defined in
multiple societies and the behaviors which are associated with it. Phenomenology is the second
qualitative design which is used to investigate individual experiences and the meaning of the
skills which they have encountered in their life (Bell, Bryman & Harley, 2018). Grounded theory
is the next design which studies the cation and the effects behavior to the culture of a particular
community. The last type of qualitative research approach is historical research which examines
the past through the use of recorded data such as objects and photos.
Compare and Contrast Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Research