What is the difference in sociological research between, Qualitative and Quantitative data?
Qualitative is indepth research with a small sample of people. Research can be conducted as one to one interviews or in focus groups. The benefit is that you get real depth of response, but the downside is that because the sample is so small the results are only indicative, they aren’t representative of the population as a whole. Quantitative research is a survey run with a statistically representative sample of people. You don’t get the same depth of data, but, assuming you have selected your sample well, it is statistically viable. Research projects often start with qual research to establish the key issues and the hypothesis is tested with quant research.
