Healthcare Management

Graduate Program
School: e-School of Health & Environmental Studies
Program Name: Masters of Science in Public Health:
Healthcare Management

Research Methods (Fall 2015) sec. 02
Assignment 1

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Submitted by: Iman Al Hadhrami
Learner ID: 200005487
Submitted to: Dr. Abeer Yasin
Submitted on: 15/September/2015
Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Introduction
Research is the systematic and scientific investigation and study of materials and sources to establish facts, which may lead to a new conclusion or emphasize on the
existing ones (Neuman, 2005). There are two types of research used today: qualitative research and quantitative research. The former is concerned with textual data, as
well as observations, whereas the latter deals with numbers like statistics (Jacobsen, 2012). Qualitative research vehemently appears in the “Waiting for a Liver
Transplant” (Brown, Sorrell, McClaren, Sharma, & Creswell, 2006) research paper. Various indicators proof the notion that the journal focuses on qualitative research
as discussed in this document. “Examining contextual factors in the career decision status of African American adolescents” by Constantine, Wallace, & Kindaichi
(2005), on the other hand, concentrates on quantitative research.
In the journal on “Waiting for a Liver Transplant,” the features that characterize qualitative research are such as the focus on textual analysis and single
phenomenon. An example is “the experience of waiting for transplant”(Brown et al., 2006). The researcher further shows the collection of the participant’s meanings
such as those of the exploration of the subscription of the liver problems victims (Brown et al., 2006). Method wise, there is the use of the open-ended questions,
which characterizes the qualitative research such as where they asked, “How is waiting experienced?” (Brown et al., 2006).
Theory generation is a characteristic that needs consideration in any qualitative research. In this case, the researchers used developed assessment description of the
experience by utilization of the phenomenological research methods, as well as the assumptions that the researchers seek world understanding (Brown et al., 2006). The
use of phenomenological inquiry strategy in Brown research paper is evidenced where there is the choice of phenomenology as the tradition of inquiry. The assessment of
the Philosophical worldview in the document exists in the deduction on the central human activity brought out in the study (Brown et al., 2006).
In the second article on “Examining contextual factors in the career decision status of African American adolescents” by Constantine, Wallace, & Kindaichi(2005) it has
various indicators that prove its qualitative nature. In the research design, the study is limited only to a few variables as they try to identify the extent to which
African American adolescent perceive career issues. In the Philosophical worldview, there is the testing of explanations and theories such as social cognition analysis
(Constantine et al., 2005). Use of numbers such as “151 participants comprised of 88 girls and 63 boys” indicates its quantitative nature. When it comes to the
Strategy of inquiry, there is a non-experimental strategy evidenced by the aspect of parental support in the study (Constantine et al., 2005).
The Constantine article Research methods base its argument on the empirical observations and measurements where the study of the participant’s attitudes recorded in a
statistical manner. This approach can only justify the qualitative research method. The information here is measured numerically such as the ranges starting from 5
points (1for almost never and 5for the case of almost always), which characterize the quantitative research method (Constantine et al., 2005).
Design characteristics of Brown study that make it qualitative (Neill, 2007)
• Data occur in the form of pictures, words, or objects.
• The objective is detailed and has complete description.
• The design progressively merges with the study process.
• Researcher tends to be the instrument of data gathering.
• Researcher subjectively immerses towards the subject matter.
Design characteristics Constantine study that make it quantitative (Neill, 2007).
• Data occur in the form of statistical numbers.
• Data is efficient and tests hypotheses, but miss the contextual detail.
• Researcher clearly knows what she/he is looking for in advance.
• Researcher remains objectively disjointed from subject matter.
• There is a careful design of the study’s aspects before data collection.
Articles comparisons
Data collected: in the Constantine tutorial, numerical data like the 1 to 5 point showing the Likert-type scale (Constantine et al., 2005) while the Brown tutorial the
use of textual analysis is evident.
Theory: for the Constantine study, the theory known hence only verification whereas in the case of Brown tutorial, the theory is being generated (Brown et al., 2006).
Conclusion
It is clear that the use of quantitative and qualitative research methods are explicitly illustrated in the research papers by Brown and Constantine respectively.
There are distinctive characteristics in both cases.
References
Brown, J., Sorrell, J., McClaren, J., Sharma, A., & Creswell, J. (2006). Waiting for a liver transplant. Qualitative Health Research, 16(1), 119–136.
Constantine, M. G., Wallace, B. C., & Kindaichi, M. M. (2005). Examining contextual factors in the career decision status of African American adolescents. Journal of
Career Assessment, 13(3), 307–319.
Jacobsen, K. H. (2012). Introduction to health research methods: A practical guide. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Neuman, W. L. (2005). Social research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches (Vol. 13). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Neill, J. (2007). Qualitative versus quantitative research: Key points in a classic debate [Online] Available: http://wilderdom. com/research.
QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch. htm l [Accessed 28 March 2009].
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