Quantitative & qualitative research--thesis 2

定量与定性的分析

姓名：张丽静 学号：2009310338 专业：英语语言文学

Quantitative and Qualitative Research:

Distinctions and Compatibility

Introduction

Quantitative research and qualitative research are two different types of research strategies. They represent two different paradigms of social research, in other words, they are two different general orientations to the conduct of social research. Because of their differences in their emphasis of epistemological and ontological issues, there have always been contentions over them in the social research field such as: which strategy is much more scientific? Which one should be adopted more frequently in social research process? Etc. All these contentions form the competing situation of the two paradigms. In the competition, although each of their strengths may increase or decrease in different historic period, none of them can overwhelm or replace the other. This condition can show us that both the two kinds of research strategies are indispensable in the process of social research. They exist with their own value and they have their own strengths and weaknesses. This assignment is designed to analyze the contentions over the two kinds of social research strategies, attempting to discover whether there is compatibility between them although they have a lot of distinctions. Also, through these efforts, this thesis tries to tell the readers what kind of attitude we should hold toward the two different research strategies while doing social research. This thesis starts with defining the two research strategies, followed by various distinctions between them then their overlaps in different ways. After these analyses, it will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the two research strategies respectively, and finally point out the necessity to view them with a justified attitude and to combine them together in the social research process.

Definitions of Quantitative and Qualitative Research

According to Bryman, research strategy means a general orientation to the conduct of social research and quantitative and qualitative research form two distinctive clusters of research strategy. Quantitative research emphasizes quantification in the collection and analysis of data while qualitative research usually emphasizes words rather than quantification in the collection and analysis of data.

In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models、 theories or hypothesis pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative research is widely used in social sciences such as sociology, anthropology, and political science. Research in mathematical sciences such as physics is also

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