Which are better, qualitative or quantitative research methods?
A.One method is not better than another in general. Whether a method is “good” or not is context specific, and depends on (a) whether it is an appropriate tool for getting at the information needed to answer a specific research question, and (b) whether the research is carried out in accordance with good practice. Q: If quantitative survey results are statistically valid, doesn’t that mean they are more robust? A.Not necessarily. Data quality is not so much related to the method itself, but how the method is implemented in practice. There is good and bad practice in every research method. Statistical validity is an appealing concept, and when the data itself is of good quality then tests of statistical validity are important for demonstrating that the results are reliable. However, it is possible for bad data to be statistically valid, for example if the question was poorly phrased, or if the answers given were subject to some bias. Similarly, good practice in qualitative research can
