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1、The Difference and Combination of Quantitative and Qualitative ResearchAbstract: Quantitative research and qualitative research are two basic paradigms and methods, each with different concept, nature, fundamental theory, and research process. Recently, there are more and more arguments about the to
2、w methods and more and more scholars promote the combination of them in researches. This thesis demonstrates the differences between the two methods and also analyzes the combination of them and its significance in researches.Key words: Quantitative research, qualitative research, difference, combin
3、ationSection One The Introduction of Quantitative Research and Qualitative ResearchThere are two paradigms in social science research. One is the positivist methodology and the other is the humanist methodology. The positivist methodology simulates the natural science and uses inductive method to di
4、scover new knowledge, uses the “hypothesis-deduction” mode to test theory (Kerlinger, 1964), uses the method of mathematical statistics to analyze quantizable empirical observation and to assure the cause-and-effect relationship. In comparison, the humanist methodology derives from humanist science
5、and emphasizes collecting, comprehending and explaining documents.Quantitative research is the specification of the positivist methodology and it emphasizes on the quantitative analysis and statistical calculation, including experimental method, quasi-experimental method and questionnaire method, et
6、c. Quantitative research emerged after 1940s. The nature of quantitative research is the use of statistic model to test the relativity between the independent variable and the dependent variable, and in turn to test the hypothesis and to deduce the cause-and-effect relationship between the variables
7、. Quantitative research is widely employed in various researches, such as social science research, environment and ecology research, energy research and so on. In practice, quantitative research requires the following process:1) to establish hypothesis and to determine the variables in the cause-and
8、-effect relationship;2) to use the reliable tools to measure and analyze the variables;3) to test the hypothesis;4) to draw a conclusion.In comparison, qualitative research is the specification of the humanist methodology and stresses the analysis of documents and the comprehension, explanation and
9、annotation of the objects of research, including literature analysis method, historical research, action research, observation method, interview, case analysis and ethnography, etc. Qualitative research is a explosive research and a process of discovering new things. It is analysis and research of t
10、he quality of the objects and in turn to describe the objects and reflect the characteristics and nature of the objects. Section Two The Differences of Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research2.1 The different fundamental theories Quantitative research and qualitative research differs from eac
11、h other in their fundamental theories. Quantitative research is based on the empirical philosophy, specifically the positivist methodology which holds that the subject and the object are separate entities, that is the social phenomena are objective and out of the influence of subjective value. The r
12、esearchers should take a neutral stance in researches. On the contrary, qualitative research holds that the researchers and the objects are not independent from each other and that the comprehension of the social phenomena depends on the inter-relationship between the two. Thus researches in social
13、science can not take a neutral stance.2.2 The different purposes of researchThe quantitative research is aimed at determine the relationship influence and the cause-and-effect relationship of the objects with more attention to individual variables and elements and their relationship. It is used to f
14、ind the quantitative relationship and master the quantitative characteristics and variation by measuring the social realities, experimental verification, mathematic statistics and various mathematic and statistic analysis and is also used to find the quantitative regularity by exploring truth, rules
15、 and the essence of the objects by the quantitative relationship, . Instead, qualitative research is aimed at comprehend the social phenomena with a heavier emphasis on the opinions of the researchers and with a view to comprehend, explain and explore the social phenomena from a holistic perspective
16、. Whats more, qualitative research is meant to have an insight into the objects through broad and delicate researches. At the same time, it will take into consideration the view of researchers and emphasize on the explanatory comprehension of realities in order to provide some references for similar
17、 researches and to discover the inner momentums in various educational context. 2.3 The different research approachesQuantitative research is based on existing theories. Then the researchers will put forward theoretical hypothesis and to collect empirical evidences to prove the hypothesis, the presu
18、pposed models and theories. It is a deductive and general-to-specific approach which highlights the verification and extension of the existing theories. The quantity in the research comes from the materials which includes quantitative relation and which are collected by the researchers. Also those m
19、aterials are reached by expert measurement and mathematical analysis, and therefore they are scientific, objective and accurate. The major methods used in quantitative research include questionnaire, experiment, survey, measurement, statistic method, etc. In order to discover a fact, the researchers
20、 in quantitative research will quantize the collected materials and use data to prove their hypothesis. In qualitative research, there is not an existing theory. Instead, it is a process of constructing theories and it collects relevant materials through interview, case study, and so on. Furthermore
21、, qualitative research emphasizes the insightful explore into and the comprehension of social phenomena, from which a proposition, conclusion or theory can be generalized. In essence, it is a general-to-specific process (Strauss and Corbin, 1998). Whats more, qualitative research requires descriptiv
22、e materials in the form of words or pictures instead of the form of accurate data, which results in the inaccuracy and ambiguity of its conclusion. The major methods used in qualitative research include observation, in-depth interview, action research and case study. The researchers in qualitative r
23、esearch will induce the first-hand materials and transform them in to theories. 2.4 The different degrees of subjectivityQuantitative and qualitative researches both pursue objectivity, but have different degrees of subjectivity. Quantitative research is based on neutral evidence and strives for obj
24、ectivity. But in the construction of hypothesis, the selection of facts and the explanation and deduction of the results, it can not guarantee the completely objectivity. Rather, qualitative research focuses on understanding the world which they observed from the point of view researchers, their mai
25、n research tool is the researcher himself. Thus it is more subjective and the research process can not avoid subjectivity.Section Three The Respective Characteristics and Limitation of Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research3.1 The Characteristics and Limitation of Qualitative Research There
26、are three characteristics in quantitative research: 1) Repeatability. The research process and the materials should be distained from the influence of the personal values, that is, the researchers must be objective during the whole research. It is advocated that delicate measuring and analyzing inst
27、ruments to ensure the repeatability of the research;2) Deduction. In the quantitative research, the researcher should first put forward some hypothesis. and then they will collect materials and transform them into data in order to verify or falsify their hypothesis. The logic method used here is ded
28、uction.3) Controllability. The quantitative research usually requires the control of the irrelevant variables or the uses the control groups to remove the influence of the irrelevant variables, so as to discover the cause-and-effect relation of the variables accurately.The main advantages of quantit
29、ative research is simple and concise, as well as, persuasive, however there are some limitation. On one hand, branch of instruction is to some extent humanistic, but the quantitative ignore the value and significance of people and it can hardly have insight into the humanistic aspect of the branch o
30、f instruction. On the other hand, the quantitative ignores the elements that can not be quantified. It emphasizes the quantitative measurement and analysis of the instruction activities. Thus it distorts the essence of education to some extent.3.2 The Characteristics and Limitation of Qualitative Re
31、searchThere are two characteristics of qualitative research:1) Induction. Qualitative research employs induction as its logic method. The researchers may or may not have a hypothesis before the research and they gradually construct a theoretical hypothesis during the research. It is a top-down induc
32、tive research model;2) The characteristic of natural scene. Qualitative research advocate researches in the real life and natural scene. The researchers spend a long time in describe and record the results in different conditions in the natural scene from the perspective of the object. Therefore, qu
33、alitative research is also called field research or site study.At the same time, there are still some limitation of qualitative research, such as difficulty in operation, the high requirement in the researchers, the influence of the subjective elements to the conclusion and the difficulty in repetit
34、ion. Section Four The Relation and Combination of Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research4.1 The relation between quantitative research and qualitative researchFirstly, quantitative research is to some extent the premise and foundation of qualitative research. Any qualitative change results f
35、rom quantitative changes and only enough quantitative change can lead to qualitative changes. Thus frequent research in quantitative changes makes for the discovery of qualitative changes early. We can borrow the view of dialectical materialism: everything existing objectively is the unity of qualit
36、y and quantity. There is no quantity without quality in the real world, and there was no quality without quantity. A close combination of quality and quantity can constitute a complete thing. Therefore, if we want a comprehensive study of a thing, both qualitative research and quantitative research
37、should be conducted. In the same study, using two different methods can help us draw a more comprehensive and accurate conclusion from different sides, different angles on the same problem. Through qualitative research, we can master things the inherent characteristics of different from other things
38、; while the supplement of quantitative research helps us to grasp the scale of the existence, development, extent, speed and other properties that can be quantified. This determines that the qualitative research and quantitative research are interrelated, complementary and indivisible.Secondly the t
39、wo methods can provide mutual helps and supports for each other. For example, before qualitative research, the analysis of quantitative research data can provide great help for the qualitative study; while conducting quantitative research，quantitative research data also has a strong guiding function
40、. Also, when performing quantitative research, quantitative research data also has a strong complementary function. Thirdly, two research methods can be interspersed with the use of each other and combined with each other. In some studies, both qualitative methods and the quantitative methods are us
41、ed. Some qualitative research also inserts data to do corroboration, while most of the quantitative research needs the rational thinking in qualitative research in the processes of hypothesizing, demonstrating the cause-and-effect relationship and discovering the regularity of phenomena. Usually, be
42、fore we conduct a new research project, the quantitative research often begin with the appropriate qualitative researches, and sometimes qualitative research is also used to explain the results obtained by the quantitative research.Although quantitative research and qualitative research differ from
43、each other in many aspects, they are not mutually exclusive but complementary to some extent. Since we have clearly seen the advantages, weakness and the relation of quantitative research and qualitative research, we can combine the two approaches together to overcome those weaknesses when using one
44、s strengths to overcome the others weaknesses. For instance, words and pictures can be used to add meaning to numbers and data, and data can be used to add precision to words and pictures. As a result, the data would be more efficient, able to test hypotheses, involve contextual details and able to
45、be generalized, which makes contribution to obtain higher credibility. 4.2 The combination of quantitative research and qualitative researchIn recent years, the increasing extension of the scope of social science research as well as the increasing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborativ
46、e research, provide a realistic possibility for the mutual learning and cooperation between the two research paradigms. Whats more, thanks to the rapid development of information technology and the computing and quantitative analysis capabilities, the qualitative research has become more sophisticat
47、ed. The two researches are combined with each other to provide the possibility of a different paradigm methodology.At present, the combination of the combination of quantitative and qualitative researches is gradually systemized. There are three main ideas of the among the west scholars: Ingersolls
48、Mixed Model, Dentins Triangulations Model and Smiths Binding Model.4.2.1 Ingersolls Mixed ModelIngersoll (1983:6-12) considers quantitative and qualitative researches have their own strengths and weaknesses, both of which can be combined in order to learn from each other. Ingersoll gives a continuou
49、s quantitative and qualitative research diagram, showing the three modes combine the two methods-exploring parameters, providing examples and suggesting interpretations.The first model on left end of the diagram is “exploring parameters”. In the combination of qualitative and quantitative researches, qualitative research plays the role to explore and thus helps quantitative research to determine the parameters of the problem. On
