Question from awalkinthewoods: Out of curiosity, and this may seem like a silly question, but how much do you think your current position and your background education play into your preference for either Quantitative or Qualitative research? Do you think either of those things even play a role or is it solely dependent upon what you are currently trying to achieve (either an explanation or further exploration)?
I think both our work experiences and personal experiences can play a role in the preference for quantitative or qualitative research. Naturally we prefer things we can understand and make sense of. I also believe there is a perception that quantitative data is more credible and scientific in nature and so biases can exist between one or the other. In considering a quantitative or qualitative research reports however, I believe that either or can be credible in nature and differ in quality. In my own work context I can see value in either a quantitative or qualitative approach, but sometimes it comes down to what would be the best way to collect the information to draw a conclusion. There are many factors to consider such as availability of participants, quality of participants or how much time is available to collect the research. Also as we’ve learned, sometimes the research question will drive whether a quantitative or qualitative research report is more suitable.
Another factor comes to mind in terms of a preference is dependent on what current information is available. For example my child has a disability and currently there is a great deal of scientific research with quantitative data to support intervention. That said there is also new and emerging research literature that is available and should not be ignored. Having said that it comes down to budget and how I want to spend my hard earned dollars. In the case of my child I’ve elected to follow the quantitative research literature that is available that provides the most amount of evidence in supporting my child’s ability to improve. Perhaps if I had an unlimited budget I might consider looking at some of the early qualitative research papers that are pointing toward some new types of therapy.
I guess in the end whether it be a qualitative or quantitative research preference, our life experiences, hunches as to the outcomes, time restraints, how far we want to delve into the research, how much current literature on the topic is available, whom the authors are and how driven we are to seek an answer will create biases on whether we prefer qualitative or quantitative research. Hopefully after completing this course we will learn that they both have their value in furthering science based research.