Qualitative VS Quantitative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Qualitative VS Quantitative Research - Essay Example When we think about research, things that come to our mind are e.g. facts & figures, science, observation, logic, evaluation, etc. etc. Adopting the scientific approach and adhering to a focused approach to come-up with certain findings do not contain values, passions, politics and ideology of the researcher. Using this kind of research methodology is called a â€Å"positivistic† approach and it is the most commonly used approach in general public. In short, the qualitative research refers to the existence of reality which is analyzed and understood with less rigorous methods and procedures while the quantitative research is aimed to reach to an objective (quantified) solution on the basis of cause & effect and examining theoretical relationship into a practical scenario. However, the emerging social changes and globalization are posing ineffectiveness of traditional deductive approach and forcing social researchers to opt for the inductive approach. Assessing qualitative research through a social constructionist lens, however, is premised upon the belief that research findings are always already partial and situated; that they actively construct the social world which is itself an interpretation and in need of interpretation. If we reject the very notion of an empirical world untouched by the social and the political, how are we to assess the research claims we make? If we concede that â€Å"truth† and â€Å"objective knowledge† cannot be invoked unproblematically, upon what grounds are we to say one research claim is better (i.e., valid) than another?. It is a kind of cold war between the old and new generation qualitative researchers. The latter reject the quantitative, positivist methods and assumptions. Having poststructural and/or postmodern sensibilities, they argue that positivist methods are nothing but all about telling stories about societies. Many new qualitative researchers are of the opinion that these methods do