There are various approaches to consider when completing research, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed method. Depending on the purpose of the research, coupled with considerations of capacity, research design could follow a purely exploratory approach, a purely confirmatory approach, or one which incorporates both approaches to varying degrees, known as a mixed method approach.
Quantitative research uses a confirmatory approach, where the researcher states a hypothesis, often based on existing theory. Statistical analysis helps to interpret the measured numerical data and tests the hypothesis. Based on objective interpretation of the data collected, the researcher would then either accept or reject their hypothesis. The results, gathered through structured interviews, questionnaires and tests, are often generalized to broader situations.
The confirmatory, top-down approach, is deductive, as it starts with a general theory and then tests specific data. If your research aimed to answer a cause-and-effect relationship, such as the hypothesis that industry members with more than five years of experience value on-going education less than those with less than five years of experience, then a confirmatory approach may be a good fit.
The exploratory approach, used in qualitative research works to make meaning of the experiences of people in their environment and also follows three stages. Here, the researcher starts by making an observation based on something they’ve noticed, which they then study, searching for patterns in the data they collect. The data, collected through unstructured interviews or focus groups using open-ended questions, is comprised of detailed descriptions of events, people or observed behaviours and often includes direct quotations from research participants. The result is a tentative conclusion or generalization about the patterns uncovered, which is narrow in scope and is not generally applied to broad situations.
Also known as a bottom-up approach, the exploratory method is inductive, as it starts with an observation and works to consider the patterns that result from further study. Instead of testing an existing hypothesis, like with quantitative research, qualitative research leads to the development of a theory. Qualitative research requires the researcher to collect and interpret data collected from participants, so subjectivity can play a role. If your research aims to explore the observation that those from baby-boomer and millennial generations have different views of on-going education in their industry, then an exploratory approach may be favoured.
As with most things in life, it can be challenging to choose just one of the above methods. Some researchers may choose to use both exploratory and confirmatory approaches, known as mixed method research. In the example of understanding the perceived value of on-going industry education above, perhaps a researcher starts by employing qualitative research, using unstructured individual interviews and open-ended questions. The information uncovered could then lead the researcher to decide to then employ a quantitative approach to gather feedback from a larger sample size of industry members. Using a mixed method approach would allow the researcher to leverage key observations uncovered through the qualitative interviews to build a meaningful, quantifiable on-line survey that is distributed to a much wider audience.
Source: Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Sage.
