The Difference and Combination of Quantitative and Qualitative Rearch
Abstract: Quantitative rearch and qualitative rearch are two basic paradigms and methods, each with different concept, nature, fundamental theory, and rearch process. Recently, there are more and more arguments about the tow methods and more and more scholars promote the combination of them in rearches. This thesis demonstrates the diffeipad连电脑
rences between the two methods and also analyzes the combination of them and its significance in rearches.
Key words: Quantitative rearch, qualitative rearch, difference, combination
Section One The Introduction of Quantitative Rearch and Qualitative Rearch
There are two paradigms in social science rearch. One is the positivist methodology and the other is the humanist methodology. The positivist methodology simulates the natural science and us inductive method to discover new knowledge, us the “hypothesis-deduction” mode to test theory (Kerlinger, 1964), us the method of mathematical statistic
s to analyze quantizable empirical obrvation and to assure the cau-and-effect relationship. In comparison, the humanist methodology derives from humanist science and emphasizes collecting, comprehending and explaining documents.
Quantitative rearch is the specification of the positivist methodology and it emphasizes on the quantitative analysis and statistical calculation, including experimental method, quasi-experimental method and questionnaire method, etc. Quantitative rearch emerged after 1940s’. The nature of quantitative rearch is the u of statistic model to test the relativity between the independent variable and the dependent variable, and in turn to test the hypothesis and to deduce the cau-and-effect relationship between the variables. Quantitative rearch is widely employed in various rearches, such as social science rearch, environment and ecology rearch, energy rearch and so on. In practice, quantitative rearch requires the following process:
1)to establish hypothesis and to determine the variables in the cau-and-effect relationship;
2)to u the reliable tools to measure and analyze the variables;
3)to test the hypothesis;
4)to draw a conclusion.
In comparison, qualitative rearch is the specification of the humanist methodology and stress the analysis of documents and the comprehension, explanation and annotation of the objects of rearch, including literature analysis method, historical rearch, action rearch, obrvation method, interview, ca analysis and ethnography, etc. Qualitative rearch is a explosive rearch and a process of discovering new things. It is analysis and rearch of the quality of the objects and in turn to describe the objects and reflect the characteristics and nature of the objects.
Section Two The Differences of Quantitative Rearch and Qualitative Rearch
2.1 The different fundamental theories
Quantitative rearch and qualitative rearch differs from each other in their fundamental theories. Q熠熠生辉什么意思
uantitative rearch is bad on the empirical philosophy, specifically the positivist methodology which holds that the subject and the object are parate entities, that is the social phenomena are objective and out of the influence of subjective value. The rearchers should take a neutral stance in rearches.
On the contrary, qualitative rearch holds that the rearchers and the objec孔雀公主的故事
ts are not independent from each other and that the comprehension of the social phenomena depends on the inter-relationship between the two. Thus rearches in social science can not take a neutral stance.
2.2 The different purpos of rearch
The quantitative rearch is aimed at determine the relationship influence and the cau-and-effect relationship of the objects with more attention to individual variables and elements and their relationship. It is ud to find the quantitative relationship and master the quantitative characteristics and variation by measuring the social realities, experiment
al verification, mathematic statistics and various mathematic and statistic analysis and is also ud to find the quantitative regularity by exploring truth, rules and the esnce of the objects by the quantitative relationship, .
Instead, qualitative rearch is aimed at comprehend the social phenomena with a heavier emphasis on the opinions of the rearchers and with a view to comprehend, explain and explore the social phenomena from a holistic perspective. What’s more, qualitative rearch is meant to have an insight into the objects through broad and delicate rearches. At the same time, it will take into consideration the view of rearchers and emphasize on the explanatory comprehension of realities in order to provide some references for similar rearches and to discover the inner momentums in various educational context.
2.3 The different rearch approaches
Quantitative rearch is bad on existing theories. Then the rearchers will put forward theoretical hypothesis and to collect empirical evidences to prove the hypothesis, the pre
suppod models and theories. It is a deductive and general-to-specific approach which highlights the verification and extension of the existing theories. The quantity in the rearch comes from the materials which includes quantitative relation and which are collected by the rearchers. Also tho materials are reached by expert measurement and mathematical analysis, and therefore they are scientific, objective and accurate. The major methods ud in quantitative rearch include questionnaire, experiment, survey, measurement, statistic method, etc. In order to discover a fact, the rearchers in quantitative rearch will quantize the collected materials and u data to prove their hypothesis.
