Qualitative design and the other using a quantitative design Research Paper

Qualitative design and the other using a quantitative design - Research Paper Example Qualitative research aims to state the trends in opinion and thought (Roessner, 2015). Quantitative research, unlike the qualitative research methodology, yields numerical information and thus quantifies a problem. This data can be translated into useful statistics to quantify variables such as behavior (such as of consumers), opinions, attitudes, and so on. This numerical data is then used in making a generalization on the entire population. Data can be collected via telephone interviews, website interceptors, systematic observations, face to face interviews, online surveys, kiosk surveys, paper surveys, longitudinal studies, mobile surveys, online polls, amongst others. Basically, while qualitative research formulates a hypothesis/ theory, quantitative research tests (and proves/ discards) the hypothesis/ theory (Roessner, 2015). As is evidenced in the two articles, there are advantages and disadvantages of using either technique of research. In qualitative research, for example, small number of samples are used which can lead to misleading conclusions (Dahlberg, 2006). The quantitative design, however, uses a large number of samples to represent the population being studied and therefore there is greater accuracy in the results obtained and the generalizations made (Roessner, 2015). However, the fact that quantitative research methods generally utilize structured data collection methods like online/ telephone questionnaires means that the interviewee is more prone to offer wrong information due to reduced freedom that is required when collecting data. In qualitative research, the methods of data collection used are unstructured and translate to superior interviewee freedom. Moreover, while quantitative research features enable it to be used to propose a final course of action, qualitative research outcomes are less conclusive and only provide