Main Types of Qualitative Research

Attempts to shed light on a phenomena by

studying indepth a single case example of
Case study the phenomena. The case can be an
individual person, an event, a group, or an
institution.

To understand the social and

psychological processes that characterize
Grounded theory
an event or situation.

Describes the structures of experience as

they present themselves to consciousness,
Phenomenology
without recourse to theory, deduction, or
assumptions from other disciplines

Focuses on the sociology of meaning

through close field observation of
Ethnography
sociocultural phenomena. Typically, the
ethnographer focuses on a community.

Systematic collection and objective

evaluation of data related to past
occurrences in order to test hypotheses
Historical concerning causes, effects, or trends of
these events that may help to explain
present events and anticipate future events.
(Gay, 1996)

http://wilderdom.com/OEcourses/PROFLIT/Class6Qualitative1.htm

Types of Quantitative Research

There are four (4) main types of quantitative designs: descriptive,

correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental.

Research methods
Research methodology can be broadly categorised into three types:

Qualitative research
 Quantitative research
Mixed methods research

The research method that you follow will be directly connected to your research
question and goals of research.

You can find research methodology books in Education in OneSearch

Quantitative research
Quantitative research attempts to quantify the relationships between
variables (such as weight, performance, time, and treatment) in
participants.
Quantitative research generates numerical data or data that can be
converted into numbers which can then undergo statistical analysis.
Quantitative research is considered to be objective, ideal for testing
hypotheses, and for trying to answer specific questions.

There are two types of Quantitative research:

Descriptive studies - measures/observes behaviour or conditions as they
are, for example surveys, discourse analysis.
Experimental/longitudinal/repeated measures studies -
measures/observes behaviour, applys an intervention and then repeats the
measurement to determine if any changes have occurred. Experimental studies
may also use a control group as a point of comparison.
Qualitative research
Qualitative research generates non- numerical data and is often used to
explore and understand people's beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behaviour
and interactions.
Qualitative research provides insight into why a person behaves or
interacts in a certain way or holds a particular belief or attitude.
Qualitative research is subjective, limited in its generalisibility, but provides
understanding of the framework within which participants interpret their
thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Examples of Qualitative research:

Interviews
Focus groups
Case studies
 Ethnographic research
Narrative inquiry

Mixed methods research

Mixed methods research involves collecting, analysing and mixing both quantitive
and qualitative data in a single study or a series of studies.

The mixed methods research premise is that the use of both quantitive and
qualitative approaches in combination provides a better understanding of and insight
into research problems then either method alone.