Question

Compare and contrast the ethical considerations of quantitative and qualitative studies.

Answer 1

Ans) Research is an important part of operating a business. Whether the research is for marketing purposes or to determine future possible growth, research helps a business plan its course.

Two types of research:

- Qualitative research seeks to understand why people react and how they feel about a specific situation. Quantitative research measures numerical results to help predict possible outcomes. In other words, qualitative research is concerned with "why," whereas quantitative research is concerned with "what." Although the data produced by each is vastly different from the other, similarities do exist between the two research tools.

- For both types of research, raw data is required, usually in the form of survey participants. The type of research will determine the types of participants.

- Qualitative research often requires people to participate, while quantitative research could be based on numbers generated from other reliable sources.

- Tools of Measurement:
Both qualitative and quantitative research are used to measure the results of data. Qualitative research focuses on data that is expressed through words and actions. For example, showing a group of people a photo and asking how the photo makes them feel (happy, sad or mad) would be a qualitative tool. If, after you've gathered the data regarding how the photo made people feel, and you then counted each result (five were happy; six were sad; nine were mad), then those results would be the result of quantitative research.

- From a business standpoint, both types of data could be important, depending on the information needed. If you wanted to know if the photo made an impact, then qualitative research would be the primary result desired. If you wanted to know which emotion the photo evoked the most, then quantitative research would be the most important.

One Can Be the Foundation for the Other
As in the above case, the quantitative research was possible only because the qualitative research was completed first. You wouldn't know which emotion was the most popular, if you hadn't first determined which moods were evoked. Qualitative and quantitative research can stand on its own merits, but also, and often, they can work in tandem to help with the research process.

Both Produce Data to Analyze
Whether you are focused on the numbers of quantitative research or the reasons for qualitative research, both processes require that the raw data be analyzed. How that happens depends on how the research is gathered. In a survey, each response has to be counted individually, and then the totals of each response are compared to the control group or to the other responses. For example, if you have two spouses answering questions about each other, you'd have to count each response to each question, and then you'd compare the answers from the responding spouse with the answers from the control group or to the other responses.