Qualitative and quantitative researches are the two basic research categories which are used in psychology, with both these type of research having advantages and best limitations to their use in researching.
For quite a while there has been some discussion around which method of distinctions between Qualitative research and quantitative research. This has been fired in later years with some thinking that a combination of the two is best practice especially in social research. These approaches have their limitations that when combined their give a better outcome for the researcher.
In some fields of study each of these methods are exactly what is need to get the answers that are need to complete the research, to take a side on what research method is best is to look out what makes up each method and what are the positive and negative in each, what are similar with each style and what major difference of each method.
Qualitative research gathers information by using questionaries, interviews on the other had quantitative research uses data which is heard to analyse, with both being so differ much ease to use a combination of each to get a true reading in your research and subject you are researching.
The key characteristics of quantitative research are that is control, it has an operational definition and replication and hypotheses testing. (Burns, 2000) the strengths of this type of research is it is precise – reliable measurement, control – sampling and design, ability to produce causality statements through the use of controlled experiments, statistical techniques allow for sophisticate analyses and replicable. (Burns, 2000)
The limitation of quantitative research is the it complexity
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