Topic > The importance of quantitative and qualitative research...

There are quantitative and qualitative methods in the field of academic research that appear to be the most relevant to the domains of professional study at the University of Henley-Putnam. These methods involve collecting different types of data to help better understand the world around us. Quantitative research is associated with social sciences such as chemistry, engineering, and mathematics, as quantitative measurement of elements may involve observing the distance between planets as they rotate around the sun. In other words, quantitative methods allow you to measure one thing and compare it to another quantity to generate conclusions, sometimes confirming hypotheses or creating new ones based on research findings. However, qualitative research is applied in cross-sectional or social sciences, such as history, sociology, and anthropology. According to the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), qualitative research seeks the “why,” not the “how,” of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information. For example, methodological discussions such as According to Trochim, some researchers have attempted to merge methodologies by trying to exploit the strengths of both types. A thriving field like Social Network Analysis (SNA) offers the opportunity to combine these methods using the observation of qualitative relationships and mathematical concepts. Some scientists have also criticized the scientific community and its over-reliance on quantifiable methodologies (Trochim, 2006). Schwartz, a professor of mathematics and computer science at New York University, has written about the attack on quantifiable methodologies and the unfortunate perception that they are a panacea in academic research (Schwartz,