Nursing Research: Approaches to Quantitative and Qualitative Studies

This essay provides a comprehensive comparison of quantitative and qualitative research methods within the context of nursing. It begins by defining and differentiating between the two approaches, highlighting their core principles and methodologies. The essay then delves into the specifics of each method, exploring how quantitative research utilizes numerical data and statistical analysis to measure variables and establish relationships, while qualitative research focuses on in-depth understanding of human experiences and perceptions through interviews and case studies. The essay further examines the benefits and limitations of each approach, discussing the strengths of quantitative research in providing objective and generalizable results, and the advantages of qualitative research in exploring complex social phenomena. Conversely, it addresses the limitations of quantitative research in capturing the nuances of human behavior and the challenges of qualitative research in ensuring replicability and generalizability. Finally, the essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of selecting the appropriate research method based on the research question and objectives, and encourages researchers to consider a mixed-methods approach when appropriate. The essay references relevant literature to support its arguments, offering a balanced perspective on the application of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in nursing research. The assignment is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib. Desklib is a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

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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

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The similarity between quantitative and qualitative analysis is that they are both research
methodologies which are used by scientists to find solutions to challenging situations.
Researcher opts to apply both of them to conduct research when one is not enough. Both of them
make use of interviews to collect information and data (Bryman, 2016). Despite the similarities
between the two research approaches, they have differences. The first difference is that in
quantitative research, variables are identified before the study is carried out and the relationship
between the variables can be established while in qualitative research the variables are very
complex and they are not easy to measure, its variables emerge from the research data (Creswell
& Creswell, 2017). The purpose of the quantitative research approach is very general, and
researchers can easily predict the results, on the other hand, qualitative research is very
contextual, and it used to provide necessary information and understanding. The role of
quantitative approach research is detached and objective, while the purpose of qualitative
research is emphatic, easy to understand and it, includes personal involvement.
Benefits and Limitations of the Quantitative Approach of Research
Quantitative research has several advantages that why most scientist applies it. The first
one is that it allows formulation statistical data which is very accurate and can be used for future
references. The problem which has to be solved is examined thoroughly by forming hypothesis
which is derived from the theory. One of the most significant advantages of a quantitative
research approach is that the results and data obtained from the study are valid, reliable and can
be generalized to a large population. It is also the most preferred research technique when the
study to be conducted involves numbers as such measuring gaps between different groups of
individuals (Punch, 2013). Despite the various advantages of this research approach, it also has
some limitations. The first limitation of quantitative research is that, to be able to collect accurate

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information. This research method should work well in the laboratory under very tight control
conditions (Brannen, 2017). This approach cannot be used in situations which involve measuring
human behavior in a natural setting. The next limitation of this approach is that it deals with
numbers and some topics are too complicated to compute in numbers.
Benefits and Limitations of the Qualitative Approach of Research
Qualitative research has some advantages. It is used when researchers want to conduct
social and behavioral studies because human interaction is very complicated as compared to
molecular reactions which are carried out through the quantitative research approach. Qualitative
research approach has the capability of obtaining large amounts of descriptive data about a social
phenomenon through structured interviews and case studies. Qualitative research also has
limitations despite the significant benefits attained from it. This research methodology takes a lot
of time to complete a study. This is due to the method which is used to capture and analyze field
data. The studies which are conducted through this method are not easily replicable, and they
cannot be generalized to the general population (Bryman, 2016). A conscious and unconscious
bias which are faced by researchers can interfere with their conclusion. This research techniques
also lacks numerical data, and researchers as anecdotal information can dismiss qualitative
findings.
Conclusion
Quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to come up with a solution which
can solve a particularly challenging situation. Qualitative research is used to gain knowledge
about a specific social phenomenon by conducting structured interviews in which individuals are
made comfortable so that they can answer the interview question accurately. The quantitative

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research method is used by organizations to analyze numerical data with the help of statistics.
Both have benefits and limitations. Researchers should be encouraged to apply a qualitative
approach when they are carrying out a social phenomenon study and quantitative approach when
they have to analyze numbers through statistical methods.

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References
Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2018). Business research methods. Oxford university press.
Berger, A. A. (2015). Media and communication research methods: An introduction to
qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage Publications.
Brannen, J. (2017). Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches: an overview. In Mixing
methods: Qualitative and quantitative research (pp. 3-37). Routledge.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Sage publications.
Green, J., & Thorogood, N. (2018). Qualitative methods for health research. Sage.
Neuman, W. L. (2013). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Pearson education.
Punch, K. F. (2013). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches.
sage.