Quantitative and qualitative research use different tools to collect and analyze data, and they allow you to answer different kinds of research questions.
| Qualitative | Quantitative | Mixed Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Presented in words | Expressed in numbers and graphs | Uses both qualitative and quantitative data as highly complementary objects |
| It is used to understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. | It is used to test or confirm theories and assumptions. | Attempts to bring qualitative and quantitative research together to answer questions |
| Enables you to assemble in-depth insights on topics that are not well understood | Can be used to establish generalizable facts about a topic | Uses qualitative approach to explore a situation and develop a set of hypotheses; uses quantitative approach |
| Common qualitative methods include interviews with open-ended questions, observations described in words, and literature reviews that explore concepts and theories. | Common quantitative methods include experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with closed-ended questions. | Common mixed methods include interviews, open-ended questions, surveys |
Qualitative data collection methods include interviews, focus groups, ethnography, and literature reviews. |
Quantitative data collection methods include surveys (closed or multiple choice questions distributed to a sample), experiments, and observations. |
Uses a combination of data collection methods |
|
Use qualitative research if you want to understand something (concepts, thoughts, experiences). |
Use quantitative research if you want to confirm or test something (a theory or hypothesis). |
Uses a quantitative approach to get a look at the bigger picture ("the What") and qualitative approach to learn about the underlying reasons ("the Why") |
