SC1002 Quantitative and qualitative methods Rob Mears Dec 2005

Strengths of quantitative methods Generalisable Large-scale patterns ‘Hard’ persuasive data Has high status as ‘scientific’ data, particularly in the medical world

More strengths… Correlation may indicate causal relationship Less effected by observer bias – the researcher can be far removed from the subject Makes visible social patterns

And limitations…? Superficial, inflexible, does not find the unexpected Ignores actors meanings and minimises differences within populations

Appeal of Qualitative approaches Access to marginal populations Rich material that enables understanding of actors social world Generates theory

And more reasons for doing qualitative work Deals with development of issues over time Maps social relationships Challenges common-sense?

And limitations Too subjective Risk of ‘going native’ Cannot throw light on large scale social processes

Role of qualitative research Relationship between researcher and subject Researchers stance in relation to subject Relationship between theory and research Research strategy Scope of findings Image of social reality Nature of data

Validity Accurate measurement of the concept being researched Whether the right concept is being researched With validity a researcher can be sure that their research measures what they say it measures However, there may be no objective external criteria. There may be cultural differences in interpretation

Reliability Others should be able to replicate and produce similar findings. So repeated efforts to measure the same thing using the same research instruments should yield the same results

Conclusions Is divide between different methods: Philosophy and epistemology? Expertise & preference of practitioners? Status of different forms of knowledge Expediency or practicality (cost?) Virtues of mixed methods (triangulation)