How to balance qualitative and quantitative research

People can make the mistake of choosing qualitative or quantitative data exclusively. Both approaches are useful in determining cause-and-effect relationships and drawing conclusions based on rigorous analyses.

Choosing research questions

Your inquiry will determine whether quantitative data or qualitative data are more appropriate for your research. In any study, think about how your research question guides what data to collect and how to analyze it.

A quantitative research question seeks to confirm something based on theory that researchers have already developed. On the other hand, a qualitative research question looks at something unfamiliar for which theory does not yet exist to explain it. In the end, the research question you ask is more important than deciding whether one approach is generally better than the other. By clearly defining what you want to know, you will have a better understanding of what methods will work best for your research project.

Filling research gaps

Quantitative data collection methods can miss nuances that cannot be measured statistically. In contrast, qualitative data collection methods may lack the necessary precision in research contexts where numerical assessment is required. Ultimately, a multitude of data collection and analysis methods may address your research inquiry better than any singular approach. In situations where a more comprehensive understanding is required, you may want to consider a mixed methods study that collects and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data. A mixed methods approach that employs both quantitative and qualitative methods can be more time-consuming and cumbersome, but the multiple approaches work hand in hand so that each approach covers the shortcomings of the other.

Advancing the overall research agenda

When choosing whether to collect quantitative data, qualitative data, or both, the bigger question is what you want to know, which determines the data collection methods and data analysis that are most effective for your research project. Researchers can benefit from understanding the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative data and deciding how both can benefit their research