- What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research is probably one of the most common questions I get when it comes to any kind of user research. Though a lot of things in research can be complex, the answer here really is not. Qualitative research answers why while quantitative research answers how much and how many.
So why versus how much and how many. Qualitative research helps us understand both attitudes and behaviors. Attitudes being people's thoughts and beliefs.
This is usually gathered from user interviews, focus groups, and diary studies. Behaviors being observations about people's approaches to tasks, collected through ethnographic approaches like contextual inquiry and direct observation. Quantitative research, on the other hand, helps us put numbers and statistical significance behind our experiences.
Insights and quantitative methods are typically derived from mathematical analysis since the instrument of data collection captures such large amounts of data that are easily coded numerically. A few quantitative methods include web analytics, A/B testing, card sorting, tree testing, even eye tracking. Now of these, the question is not which is better than the other, but rather when should I be using which.
I'm gonna do a side-by-side comparison to walk you through this, starting with the most basic which is what we've already gone over. Qual answers why and how to fix something where quant answers how much and how many. Now, when it comes to outcomes, in qual, findings are based on researcher's analysis, impressions, interpretations, even prior knowledge.
In quant, findings are statistically meaningful results that are likely replicated in a different study. When it comes to participants, in qual, you only need a few, think a handful. In quant, you need many.
And then when it comes to approaches, in qual, you'll be using kind of flexible approaches with a range of structured and unstructured methods. In quant, you'll have well-defined, strictly controlled study conditions. The question isn't which is better than the other, but really when are you trying to do what.
Are you trying to answer the why's and the what's or are you trying to answer the how much and how many?
