HHSM410 Current Issues in Health: Research and Practice

This video from Deakin University Library breaks down the differences!

Quantitative Research

• Quantitative research asks "how many?" or "how much?"
• The data looks like numbers or statistics -- the quantity of something. It can be counted.
• Quantitative research methods include:
  • Counting and measurements -- the number of HHSM students who are women, for instance. The percentage of respondents who support a mask mandate. Data from the U.S. Census, which counts population characteristics.
  • Surveys which use ratings scales, where participants choose one response from a fixed set of answers. You've probably taken surveys that use the Likert scale, where the possible responses to a question are Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Agree, and Strongly Agree.
• To locate quantitative studies, look for keywords like survey, measure, statistic, number, and count, and statistics keywords like regression, correlation, deviation, distribution, and probability.

Qualitative Research

• Qualitative research asks "why?" It seeks to describe people's experiences.
• The data looks like words and descriptions -- the quality of something. It cannot be counted.
• Qualitative research methods include:
  • Open-ended surveys where people can write what they want
  • Interviews
  • Focus groups
  • Case studies
  • Observation
  • Analyzing documents and artifacts that people have created
  • Methods like ethnography and grounded theory
• To locate qualitative studies, look for keywords like survey, interview, focus group, case study, experience, describe, observe, narrative, coding, and pattern.