Module: Becoming a Sociologist
Seminar 9 – Quantitative Methods vs Qualitative Methods
Outline for today’s class
Look at the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods
Short PowerPoint presentation on quantitative methods
Take the quiz on this week’s Moodle session
Compare the survey to the 1993 survey
Online test: you will be tested on the differences between quantitative and qualitative
methods.
Quantitative Methods:
Deals with numbers – in social surveys, if you tick yes/no, that answer will be
recorded as a number.
What can you do with the numbers? Turn them into percentages
Tends to take the position of the researcher – you are telling the participants
what the questions are and the responses they can select from. Participants
respond the way the researchers want them to respond.
You are in charge of the research
Good at testing theories. Example: testing the gender variations
Tendency to be static – can find out how people are feeling at that very
moment.
Structured – follow sequences through the process. Very fixed.
Generalisation – finds out what do most people think about this
About statistics, hard data, mathematically based.
Reliable – consistent patterns
Tends to be macro – you get an overview of the big picture. Dealing with a
large sample.
, Interested in behaviour – example: if a vaccine was available tomorrow, would
you take it?
Tends to take place in artificial settings
Qualitative methods:
All about words
Focus groups
Participants can respond in any way they want
Researcher is much closer to the participant – there is a dialogue between
them. There is social interaction.
About generating theories and explanations
Tend to be much more involved in process – to find out how things alter after
time.
Unstructured – much more flexible and open; tends to develop as it goes
along.
Tends to focus on the context much more – how does it vary by the context,
looks at the social location they’re in, tries to understand peoples’ opinions
and beliefs.
Not too much concerned about reliability. You are after the richness and depth
of the data, to look for new insights. Not interested in percentages.
Micro – conducted in much more smaller groups
All about meaning – detailed discussion
Natural setting – the researcher goes to where the action is to observe what is
going on.
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods – PowerPoint presentation
Introduction
Seminar 9 – Quantitative Methods vs Qualitative Methods
Outline for today’s class
Look at the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods
Short PowerPoint presentation on quantitative methods
Take the quiz on this week’s Moodle session
Compare the survey to the 1993 survey
Online test: you will be tested on the differences between quantitative and qualitative
methods.
Quantitative Methods:
Deals with numbers – in social surveys, if you tick yes/no, that answer will be
recorded as a number.
What can you do with the numbers? Turn them into percentages
Tends to take the position of the researcher – you are telling the participants
what the questions are and the responses they can select from. Participants
respond the way the researchers want them to respond.
You are in charge of the research
Good at testing theories. Example: testing the gender variations
Tendency to be static – can find out how people are feeling at that very
moment.
Structured – follow sequences through the process. Very fixed.
Generalisation – finds out what do most people think about this
About statistics, hard data, mathematically based.
Reliable – consistent patterns
Tends to be macro – you get an overview of the big picture. Dealing with a
large sample.
, Interested in behaviour – example: if a vaccine was available tomorrow, would
you take it?
Tends to take place in artificial settings
Qualitative methods:
All about words
Focus groups
Participants can respond in any way they want
Researcher is much closer to the participant – there is a dialogue between
them. There is social interaction.
About generating theories and explanations
Tend to be much more involved in process – to find out how things alter after
time.
Unstructured – much more flexible and open; tends to develop as it goes
along.
Tends to focus on the context much more – how does it vary by the context,
looks at the social location they’re in, tries to understand peoples’ opinions
and beliefs.
Not too much concerned about reliability. You are after the richness and depth
of the data, to look for new insights. Not interested in percentages.
Micro – conducted in much more smaller groups
All about meaning – detailed discussion
Natural setting – the researcher goes to where the action is to observe what is
going on.
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods – PowerPoint presentation
Introduction
