Qualitative Research: A Social Science Investigation - Essay Sample

Introduction

Qualitative research is the type of social science investigation that gathers information and works using data that is not numerical. A qualitative study, in many cases, seeks to give an interpretation from the data. It forms the description that statisticians understand the various issues of the social lives of the targeted study areas at all times (McLeod 2019, n.d). Most of the researchers view the qualitative research as one which is empirical, and the data are not in the form of any numbers. These definitions show the study having the qualitative research carry out their activities in settings that are natural with an attempt to make sense of the phenomenon through the meanings people bring to them. Most qualitative studies aim to have a good understanding of the reality of the social status of individuals, groups, and various cultures of people.

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The interpretation comes from the views of participants who practice the culture. An excellent example of qualitative research is where an owner of the book store seeks ways of improving the sales of enhancing the sales and how to reach upon the customers. The research on getting the ways of improving the sales of the bookstore will come from interviewing the people in that community who buy books at the bookstore. The answers regarding their views of the book store will come from them for analysis.

Quantitative research involves the use of the data that is in the form of numbers to have a functional analysis of the topic in place. The necessary information comes from the statistics of the quantities and the numbers (McLeod 2019, n.d). The information that gets used in the study of the data is basically in numerical forms. The data gets collected in a way that can be placed under various categories in a specific order for proper mathematical analysis in given units of multiple measurements. With the quantitative data, the analysts and researchers have the chance to come up with appropriate graphs and tables for the raw data collected from the study areas. Quantitative research gets used to test a given theory and either fully support it or reject it. The decision directly comes from the data collected and its proper analysis from the given area of study.

Most of the types of quantitative researches are in the form of experiments. The reason for this is that they can give out useful data that can get quantitated since they deal with carrying out measurements of various parameters. An excellent example of quantitative research comes in when there is a study about physical objects. For one to calculate the frequency of anything during the survey, there must be data in the form of numbers collected form the study. The human resource officer in a company keenly measures the size of the office given to new employees.

Q2. Cross-sectional Studies and Longitudinal Studies

A cross-sectional study in research involves the use of various groups of people that differ in opinions and interests. The people differ in the interests regarding the research topic but, in the end, share the same characteristics in the study area. In an example of research, the interest variable was the age of the individuals during the study. The reason behind this is the simple changes that got noticed in the groups of various ages. A good example is during the research involves the women of various age groups; an attribute comes in the age difference and not any other factor. Longitudinal studies, on the other hand, is a correlational type of study. In engages the view of the variables that get extended over a given period for the specific study area. The study, as compared to the cross-sectional studies, takes a more extended period. The research can take weeks, months, and sometimes years. Longitudinal studies can sometimes last for even decades. The difference with cross-sectional studies comes when the study gets conducted, whereby it's shorter than longitudinal. If the research is about child and maternal health as they grow up from birth, the study will take quite some time before it gets completed.

The similarity that comes between the two types of studies is that they are carrying out acts of observation. This explanation shows that researchers record their data collected from their participants without having to manipulate the study area (Burgi et al. 2011, p.937). For example, if the researcher is about those who are vegetarians in a given study area, the researcher will not get concerned about the people who are not vegetarians.

Q3. Probability and Non-Probability Sampling

The probability sampling methods involve the use of random sampling of various data by utilizing random selection. The researcher chooses the samples randomly from a given population under study (Liker and Bale 2017, p.77). The study gets based on the probability theory. An excellent example of a random sampling method is when researching a given state which has a population of 10 Million. For the research to be meaningful, only a sample of the population shall get taken to take part in the study. The selected will represent the views of the rest of the population.

Coming to the non-probability sampling methods, it involves gathering all the samples in a given population. The process does not give all the people equal chances of being selected during the selection. Researchers give their choices basing on their judgment that is entirely subjective rather than using random selection. An excellent example of this method is when the researchers research a strange illness. The researchers will use the subjects by referring them to other subjects that are suffering from the ailment. The subjects will form the sample that is subjective for the given study.

References

McLeod, S. A., 2019. Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/qualitative-quantitative.html

Burgin, F. et al., 2011. Relationship of physical activity with motor skills, aerobic fitness, and body fat in preschool children: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study (Ballerina). Int J Obese 35, p. 937–944. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.54

Liker E. and Bale I. 2017. Combination of probability random sampling method with non-probability random sampling method sampling versus sampling methods. Volume 5, issue 5. P. 77-100. https://www.medcrave.org/index.php/BBIJ/article/view/3392