Related information
More on quantitative and qualitative research
1. National Institute for Health Research comparison of quantitative and qualitative research
2.Quantitative research: Designs relevant to nursing and healthcare in the Journal of Research in Nursing
(NB subscription required to view full article)
3. Qualitative research methods in health technology assessment: a review of the literature (NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme)
The main methodological approaches to research
Quantitative
- Identification of trends and patterns in a population;
- Seeks to understand how variables relate
- Relies on very structured methods to collect data that can be
- categorised or numerically/graphically represented
- statistically analysed
- Tends to involve large samples
Qualitative
- Understanding of experiences among groups within a population
- Tends to involve small samples
- Relies on methods which are flexible and involve talking/ observation.
- Collects data that involves words, pictures, documents, film, historical sources
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