Qualitative vs Quantitative research Quantitative (numbers and probabilistic explanations) Focus: measurable and objective Focus: context, agency, meaning making Data: statistical and numerical Common methods: closed questionnaires, tests, experiments, the census Common methods: open/semi-structured interviews, focus groups, document analysis Analysis: statistical correlations, statistical comparisons, probability relations, cause and effect hypothesis Explanations: discursive, analytical, meaning making, abstraction from detail/complexity to generate rich narratives and diagrams as models fihow things connect), theory informed judgements regarding future Explanations: interpretations of statistical correlations and trends, possible predictions with significant probability Why does it matter? Research is technically good. Qualitative (words and meaning making) Data: text, audio, visual, ethnographic descriptions, narrative Analysis: coding, patterns, themes, features and categories 1. Reasoning process made a good case for an impressive design or there was some ingenious creative use of methods AND 2. Research was carried out systematically and convincingly Specialist Vocabulary: Ā· Validity-> appropriate questions, related to prior work, appropriate data and analysis, deal with exceptions, refutable, explicit regarding limitations and qualifying claims Ā· Reliability-> research is truth worthy and ethical, defensible sampling fibias issue), following conventions for preserving data integrity, transparent analysis and recommendations are genuine Qualitative and Quantitative Ā· Self-reporting evidence o for example, college students, 3 independent samples, factor analysis, 3 factor model is best fit. But rely solely on self-reporting Ā· Informant reporting evidence o incorporate informant reporting fieach some family members and some close friends) but sample is unrepresentative Ā· Life history evidence o coded obituaries fisummaries of people's lives), but does it generalise beyond, and text is coded and interpreted Not evidence of source of physiologically rich lives or causes