Qualitative Research – First Impressions

I have to admit that I’ve always been uncomfortable with numbers. I’m a very creative person and numbers seem impersonal and complex to me. They rely on rigid concepts of mathematics and are harshly intolerant of error or misunderstanding. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never been too keen on the idea of quantitative research.

As an anti-numerics kind of guy, I’ve always thought of myself as doing qualitative research. Categorical studies appeal to me in that they come with context and provide richness of experience that quantitative research cannot provide. I do appreciate more, now that I’ve had some exposure to both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, that qualitative research is more concerned with the why of research rather than the what or the how.

What I haven’t well understood to this point is how difficult qualitative research can be. I can see the appeal of quantitative research for people who are looking for a slam-dunk for their dissertation. Quantitative research offers data analysis opportunities that are easier to interpret, even though it is also more likely that the interpretations can be biased or incorrect.

So, for now I’ll continue to lean toward qualitative research for my own research purposes and I’ll look forward to learning more methodology. Perhaps my impressions will change, but I don’t think so.