Reflect on your learning about Quantitative and Qualitative research; share two ways that helped you understand how they are different.

Quantitative and qualitative research are two different approaches to gathering data that have distinct advantages and limitations. Quantitative research relies on numerical data, often collected through surveys or experiments, in order to draw conclusions about a population. Qualitative research typically involves more open-ended conversations with individuals—interviews or focus groups—and is used to gain deeper insight into the attitudes, beliefs, and motivations of people within a specific context.

One way that helped me understand how they are different was seeing an example of each approach in action. For instance, when I did an independent study project last semester on voter turnout trends among young adults, my professor showed us how quantitative research involved collecting survey responses from representative samples of young people nationwide while qualitative research entailed conducting interviews with participants selected for their unique perspectives on voting behavior. Seeing the differences between these two approaches made them easier to differentiate in my mind.

Another helpful tool for understanding the distinction between quantitative and qualitative techniques was reading comparative case studies that illustrated how both methods could be applied to answer similar questions but yield quite disparate results. By following along with these studies step by step, it became easier for me to grasp why one method might be better suited than another depending on what kind of information you’re hoping to uncover from your own investigation. Overall, this experience gave me a much better understanding of which type of technique I should use for different kinds of projects depending upon the type of insights I’m striving for as well as the resources available at my disposal.