Qualitative vs. Quantitative Methodologies

You've probably heard of qualitative and quantitative studies before: quantitative studies tend to be focused on numbers and cold, hard facts, whereas qualitative studies aren't. There are also some other ideological differences underpinning different types of studies, which I'll talk about in this post.

Firstly, some terminology. Ontology is the study of reality, and ontological positions describe what entities exist and what kinds of relationships exist. Ontology can inform epistemology, which is the study of knowledge and how we can truly know things. In turn, epistemology can inform methodology, which is the theoretical and philosophical system that structures the way that research is conducted, and ultimately determines the methods that we use to learn things.

Quantitative paradigm

The quantitative paradigm comes from positivism, which is a "realist orientation" that posits that an ultimate truth exists and can be described as it really is. Furthermore, the truth can be described using facts, which are separated from values. In quantitative studies, the investigator is seen to be able to study phenomena without influencing or being influenced by them.

Qualitative paradigm

The qualitative paradigm, on the other hand, is derived from idealism. According to idealism, reality depends on one's mental structure and activity, and cannot be accessed independent of our minds. As such, there is no single reality; instead, there are multiple realities based on one's construction or interpretation of reality. Our perception of reality is not value-free, and things cannot be described as they really are but only as we perceive or interpret them. The "truth" in qualitative studies is essentially defined as the extent to which a researcher's statements correspond to how people out there really interpret or construct their realities. Generally, the main goal in qualitative studies is not to find the "ultimate truth," but instead to understand a phenomenon better from the point of view of study participants, and to allow readers of the study to make use of these experiences based on their descriptions in the text.

References

Slevitch, L 2011, 'Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies Compared: Ontological and Epistemological Perspectives', Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 73-81.