Qualitative Vs. Quantitative – What’s The Difference?
Qualitative methods and quantitative methods are closely related but are definitely not the same thing. Qualitative methods include reviews of documents looking for certain themes, in-depth interviews and focus groups. Quantitative methods include reviews of records or documents for numeric information and structured interviews.
Qualitative
Qualitative methods are more subjective and will describe a problem from the point of view of those who are experiencing the problem. It is text based and offers unstructured response options. Qualitative provides more in-depth information on just a few cases.
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Quantitative
Quantitative methods are much more objective and provide observed effects of a condition that have been interpreted by researchers. It is number based and response options are structured. Quantitative provides less in-depth information over a large number of cases.
Uses
Qualitative methods mainly use inductive reasoning to formulate a theory or hypothesis. Quantitative methods mainly use deductive reasoning to test concepts, theories or hypotheses that are already formed. Also have a look at the difference between concept and idea.
Time Expenditure
Qualitative methods generally use less time during planning and more time during the analysis phase. Quantitative methods use more time during planning and less time during the analysis phase.
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Qualitative Vs. Quantitative Comparison Table
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