Balancing Perspectives- The Vital Role of Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Public Safety
Introduction
Research is a common part of human existence and is mainly done to find solutions for existing problems, investigate facts, confirm results of previous experiments, come up with new theories, and support existing theories on various concepts. Research is mainly characterized by the generation of knowledge, conducting experiments, and establishing a cause and effect of existing data to create a foundation for further studies. The main research methods are quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research includes collecting data to quantify information and subjecting it to statistical analysis to refute or support alternate knowledge claims. Qualitative research is, on the other hand, an interpretive research technique attempting to gain insight into specific behaviors and meanings in a specific social phenomenon through study participant’s subjective experiences. This research focuses on explaining the difference between qualitative and quantitative research based on the characteristics and limitations based on their characteristics and specific attributes drawn from examples of previous studies.
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Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is the organized review of a phenomenon by collecting statistical data and executing numerical, computational, or statistical techniques. Slevitch (2011) argues that this type of research mainly arises from the positivism paradigm, which advocates for techniques attached to statistical analysis involving other strategies such as testing hypotheses, inferential statistics, and establishing structured protocols. Quantitative research uses a highly systematic, objective approach that includes categories and descriptions explaining human realities and experiences from a study participant’s perspective. It, therefore, adopts an iterative process where the hypotheses arise from the data as it is gathered, thus actively involving the researcher in the data analysis and collection process.
The main aim of quantitative research is to describe current situations, identify relationships between variables, and attempt to explain causal relationships between the variables. Quantitative research is also focused on explaining and describing the phenomenon being investigated. It, therefore, uses various steps that researchers need to follow keenly. The steps include the development of a theory or hypotheses, selecting a research design, defining operational concepts, selecting a research area and research respondents, collecting and processing data, analyzing data, and stating findings and conclusions (Mellinger & Hanson, 2016). Researchers conducting quantitative research are also required to be more immersed among research participants because they have to remain objective and avoid biases.
Quantitative Research Examples
One example of quantitative research is a study conducted by Bouwer et al. (2014) measuring the impact of genre on writing score by considering different types of variance such as genre, space, task within a genre, person by genre, random error, person by task genre and individuals rating different genres.
The second example is a study conducted by Katzenberger & Meilijson (2014) assessing Hebrew language for children in preschool to establish Hebrew speaking preschool children with language impairment and identifying whether the test can be used to identify the development of the impairment.
Limitations of Quantitative Research
The main limitation of quantitative research is that it fails to determine deeper underlying explanations and meanings. The second limitation is that it fails to account for how the social reality is developed and maintained or how people interpret their actions and those of other people. The third limitation is that it provides a limited consideration of a phenomenon because variables are measured at a specific time. Quantitative research also overlooks the perspectives and experiences of respondents in highly controlled environments.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research focuses on the way people make sense of and interpret their experiences to understand individual social reality. This type of research uses journals, diaries, interviews, questionnaires, and observations to gather, interpret, and analyze data. Qualitative research is also exploratory and explains why and how a specific program or phenomenon operates in a specific context. The basis of qualitative research is an interpretive approach to a reality in society and describing human experiences. It is mainly used in research in specific fields such as nursing, education, sociology, healthcare, management, psychology, and information systems.
Qualitative research is mainly interested in people’s experiences, beliefs, and meaning techniques from different perspectives. It does not include empirical computation and statistical analysis. Its background is founded on cultural and social anthropology, psychology, philosophy, sociology, and history. Its goal is to provide a deeper comprehension of a specific concept and interpret and describe phenomena or issues in a systematic way from the perspective of a population or individual being studied and generate new theories and concepts. Therefore, this type of research builds concepts, abstracts, theories, or hypotheses in addressing a specific topic.
Qualitative Research Examples
One example of qualitative research is a study conducted by Pistol & Rocsana Bucea-Manea-Tonis (2017). The study used a case study approach to determine how conjoint analysis can be used to evaluate market conditions when launching a new product in a new market. The research focused on a case study of a company in Romana that used the Lime Survey to get information about the preferences of their clients regarding product price, characteristics, promotion, and distribution.
The second example is research conducted by Bucea-Manea-Țoniș & Tonis (2017), explaining how to design a web survey using spring boot with MYSQL. The study used interviews to gather information from the study participants, and a case study of technical solutions considered in the implementation of Html form sending collected data from the MYSQL database.
Limitations of Qualitative Research
One of the limitations of qualitative research is that it sometimes leaves out background sensitivities and focuses more on experiences and meanings (Silverman,2018). Another limitation is that the results of qualitative research may receive low credibility because of a researcher’s bias. The third limitation is that qualitative research may neglect the cultural and social constructions of the variables being studied. Harry & Lipsky (2014) argue that a smaller sample size may also create an issue of generalizability to the entire research population. Qualitative research is also time-consuming, particularly in data collection.
Value in Undertaking Both Types of Research
The main value of undertaking quantitative research is that it enables the establishment of a relationship between variables through a structured technique on a sample that represents the entire research population. Quantitative research also assists in the reliable and objective collection of data discussed in an analytical, logical, and comprehensive way and highlights major findings. It additionally identifies gaps in the collected data and how the research can fill these gaps and make appropriate clarifications of existing knowledge. It also clarifies important concepts to ensure that a reader understands the information and data in the research. The main value of qualitative research is that it helps in determining the specific frequency of characteristics or traits and allows researchers to establish parameters to observe large data.
Conclusion
Research is important in human lives because it assists in finding solutions to most of the issues in society. This research has established that quantitative and qualitative research are the main research methods used. The two methods have various limitations and advantages that researchers need to consider before settling on the most appropriate method to use. It is, however, important to consider using the two methods together to ensure that research is comprehensive and eliminate the negative impacts of the limitations of the two methods.
References
Bouwer, R., Béguin, A., Sanders, T., & Van den Bergh, H. (2014). Effect of genre on the generalizability of writing scores. Language Testing, 32(1), 83-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532214542994
Bucea-Manea-Țoniș, R., & Tonis, R. (2017). How to design a web survey using Spring Boot with MySQL: A Romanian network case study. Annals of Spiru Haret University. Economic Series, 17(2), 63-72. https://doi.org/10.26458/1725
Harry, B., & Lipsky, M. (2014). Qualitative research on special education teacher preparation. Handbook of Research on Special Education Teacher Preparation. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203817032.ch26
Katzenberger, I., & Meilijson, S. (2013). Hebrew language assessment measure for preschool children: A comparison between typically developing children and children with specific language impairment. Language Testing, 31(1), 19-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532213491961
Mellinger, C. D., & Hanson, T. A. (2016). Quantitative research methods in translation and interpreting studies. Routledge.
Pistol, L., & Rocsana Bucea-Manea-Tonis. (2017). Model of simulation for optimizing marketing mix through conjoint analysis case study: Launching a product on a new market. Economics World, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.17265/2328-7144/2017.04.003
Silverman, D. (2018). Doing qualitative research. SAGE Publications.
Slevitch, L. (2011). Qualitative and quantitative methodologies compared: Ontological and epistemological perspectives. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 12(1), 73-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/
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Question 
Select your favorite 4 examples of qualitative and quantitative research. Using this list, draft an argumentative essay that convinces the reader why both qualitative and quantitative research are important to public safety. Consider the following questions: What are the limitations of qualitative and quantitative research? What are the potential issues in only using qualitative or quantitative research? What value comes from undertaking qualitative and quantitative research?
Balancing Perspectives- The Vital Role of Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Public Safety
The specific steps are as follows:
1. Reviewing the unit Discussion Board, find your favorite 4 examples of research using both qualitative and quantitative research.
2. Construct a 4-page argumentative essay convincing your reader of the value and importance of using both qualitative and quantitative research.
3. Address each of the following questions:
1. What are the limitations of qualitative and quantitative research?
2. What are the potential issues in only using qualitative or quantitative research?
3. What value comes from undertaking both qualitative and quantitative research?
4. Use no fewer than 6 scholarly resources.