Essay - A Critical Evaluation of the Merits and Shortcomings of Qualitative...

A Critical Evaluation of the Merits and Shortcomings of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Techniques and Procedures

Introduction

Ancient mankind was faced with at least one of the same problems confronting modern social researchers: selecting the right tool for the ***** job. In fact, there is a v*****st array ***** methodologies available ***** virtually any type of research project today, but some of these will clearly be superior to others. One ***** the first decisions a researcher will ***** required ***** make in determ*****ing which approach is best suited for a given *****, though, involves the decision *****s to whether ***** use a qu*****litative or quantitative analytical approach. Both of these techniques have some attri*****es that make them appropriate for certain research applications, and in some cases *****s even use them both to maximize their return on their research resources. Nevertheless, in many *****, a qualitative or quantitative analysis is the perfect fit f***** a given research topic, but knowing ***** difference in the ***** is required, as well as when they should be use separately or ***** combination with each other or another ***** methodology. To this end, this paper provides a critic*****l evaluation of the merits and sh*****tcomings of qualitative and quantitative research techniques ***** procedures, followed by a summary of ***** research and salient findings in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

***** ***** Overview.

There has been a good deal of attention paid to ***** and those who conduct it ***** recent years, but the debate over qual*****ative versus quantitative research techniques is certainly not new. ***** this regard, Goodson ***** Phillimore emp*****ize that, "The quantitative versus qualitative ***** has a long history in ***** science research" (p. 42). To some extent, the debate over the superiority of qualitative versus quantitative research relates to how ***** various attributes ***** each technique are perceived by its adherents, and how the weaknesses and constra*****ts of ***** are viewed by its critics. In ***** regard, Crowley (1994) reports *****, "Some researchers argue that qualitative research is unscientific and that quantitative methods remain the methods of choice for serious-minded, social-science *****. These researchers deny ***** value ***** any method that departs from traditional quantitative methodologies. For others, only qualitative methods yield data of interest and worth. Though this ***** seems ***** be waning in ***** years, remnants of it remain" (*****, p. 65). Likewise, Benz and Newman (1998) maintain ***** the attributes of one research methodology may be *****referable to researchers for purely subjective reasons: "The debate between qualitative and ***** researchers is based upon the differences in assumptions about what reality is ***** whether or not it is measurable. The debate further rests on differences of opinion about ***** we can best understand what we 'know,' whether through objective ***** subjective *****" (p. 2).

***** lengthy history of controversy ***** added some fuel to the current fires over which research technique is superior and why, especially during a period in ***** where so much in*****mation has now become available for analysis