Week 10 - The Foundations for Structuring and Evaluating Research Projects:

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Design and Analysis

1.1 Introduction
Evaluation study can take many different shapes and is conducted for a wide variety of
reasons. However, the purpose of every evaluation is to provide more useful information for
improving decision-making. The methods that drive evidence-based knowledge is the
selection of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Both quantitative and
qualitative methods look for recurring themes in the data they collect to determine whether or
not there is a connection between the factors being studied.

1.2. Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this week of study you will be able to:
LO.4 Demonstrate a critical awareness of recent theory and processes required to
complete a practitioner led applied business project
LO.5 Evaluate and justify options related to the preparation of a practitioner led applied
business project

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Table of Contents
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
1.2. Learning Outcomes................................................................................................................ 1
1.3 Structuring and Evaluating Research Projects .................................................................... 2
1.4 Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approach ..................................................... 4
1.5 Types of Analysis for Qualitative and Quantitative Data ................................................... 6
References ...................................................................................................................................... 9

1.3 Structuring and Evaluating Research Projects

The procedure of organising the research project into a structure that follows a pattern contains
the following components: an introduction, Critical Review of Theoretical Concepts,
research methods, findings & discussion, conclusions or recommendations (Verschuren, 2010).

Introduction: The introduction leads the reader from a general subject area to a particular topic of
inquiry. It establishes the scope, context, and significance of the research being conducted by
summarizing current understanding and background information about the topic.
Critical Review of Theoretical Concepts: A critical review of existing literature around the topic
of investigation. This is likely to comprise background theory, plus summaries of research done
by other organizations, government statistics and publications related to the topic of your project.
Research Methods: Description of research approaches that are taken to investigate a research
problem and the rationale for the application of specific procedures or techniques used to
identify, select, process, and analyse information applied to understanding the topic under
investigation.
Findings & Discussion: Report the research findings of your study based upon the methodology
[or methodologies] you applied to gather information. Also, interpret and describe the
significance of your findings in relation to what was already known about the research problem
being investigated and to explain any new understanding or insights that emerged as a result of
your research.

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Conclusions or Recommendations: Your conclusion should explicitly
address your research objectives. It is often a good idea to re-state the research objectives at this
point and then explain exactly how and, to what degree, they have been addressed. You are also
advised to include a series of recommendations. Your recommendations may include reflection
on how future research might further develop your research and/or address the limitations of
your research.

Evaluating Research Projects by:

1. Currency - the timeliness of the information
• when was it published or posted?
• has it been updated?
• does your topic require current information or are older sources also acceptable?

2. Relevance - the importance of the information for your needs

• does the information relate to your topic?
• is it written at an appropriate level - not too elementary or advanced?
• would you be comfortable using it in a research project?

3. Authority - the source of the information

• who is the author/publisher/source?
• what are the author's credentials?
• is the publisher reputable?

4. Accuracy - the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the information

• is the information supported by evidence?
• has it been reviewed?
• can you verify the information in other sources?
• are there spelling or grammatical errors?

5. Purpose - the reason the information exists

• why was this created - to inform, educate, sell, entertain, or persuade?
• is it objective and free of bias?

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1.4 Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approach
Research methods are the techniques that the researcher uses to collect and analyse data. One
definition of quantitative research describes it as study that gathers and/or utilises numerical data,
while another definition of qualitative research describes it as research that gathers and/or uses
non-numerical data. However, this classification is fairly limited, and in order to characterise
research as quantitative or qualitative, one must take into consideration the underlying
philosophical ideas of the investigation being conducted (Gregar, 1994). Quantitative research is
defined as research that is influenced by positivist ideas, research that adheres to highly
structured data collection methodologies, and research that makes use of numerical methods of
analysis (statistics). The data gathering methods that are most commonly linked with quantitative
research include experiments and (structured) surveys. On the other hand, qualitative research
may be informed by the principles of a variety of philosophies, such as interpretivism,
phenomenology, realism, pragmatism, and so on, and it may use a variety of methods of data
collection and analysis. In this way, qualitative research may be distinguished from quantitative
research (Gregar, 1994). The term "qualitative research" refers to a variety of approaches to the
collection of data. Some examples of qualitative research methods include the case study,
narrative research, ethnography, action research, and so on. When conducting research using
mixed methods, researchers collect and analyse data using a combination of qualitative and
quantitative approaches. It is possible to apply more than one method either simultaneously (over
the course of a single phase of data collection and analysis) or sequentially (during the course of
more than one period of data collection and analysis) (Adams, Khan & Raeside, 2014; Saunders,
Lewis & Thornhill, 2015).

Quantitative and qualitative approaches each have certain advantages and disadvantages when
compared to one another. Table 3.2 below outlines some of the key pros and cons of using each
of these approaches.
Table 3.2 Pros and cons of using quantitative or qualitative methods

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Table 3.3 gives some examples of methods that can be used in quantitative and qualitative
research.

Table 3.3 Examples of quantitative and qualitative methods

Quantitative Qualitative

Surveys/questionnaires ✔ ✔

Experiments ✔

Interviews ✔

Focus groups ✔

Observations ✔ ✔

Action research ✔ ✔

Secondary data collection ✔ ✔

Literature review ✔ ✔

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Some of these methods may be used both in qualitative and quantitative
research, such as for example secondary data collection or observations (in quantitative research,
observations would aim at collecting data such as frequencies (e.g. how often something
happens) or duration (e.g. how long does it take), etc. (Patten, 2017). Also, although some
methods can be used by both quantitative and qualitative research, they are more typically used
by one or the other. For example, surveys/questionnaires are more typically used in quantitative
research or action research is more typically used in qualitative research.

Also, there are merits and limitations in using a mixed methods approach. For example, a mixed
methods approach allows the researcher to use both quantitative and qualitative data and analysis
to measure and interpret a situation, issue or phenomenon. This allows for triangulation of the
findings and it enables the researcher to develop a complete picture of the situation, issue or
phenomenon. Also, a mixed methods approach allows the researcher to explore more complex
issues which require both measurement and interpretation. However, mixed methods are often
criticized for lack of sound theoretical underpinnings. Also, mixed methods require the
researcher to have both qualitative and qualitative data collection and analysis skills and they
may require more resources than following either a qualitative or quantitative approach
(Creswell, Clark, & Garrett, 2008).

1.5 Types of Analysis for Qualitative and Quantitative Data

Qualitative Analyses:
Thematic Content Analysis
Interview transcripts or field notes provide a descriptive version of the study, but they do not
provide explanations; consequently, it is the responsibility of the researcher to provide sense or
meaning to the data gathering through analysis. Based on this study's grounded theory research
approach, the researcher selected thematic content analysis to analyse the qualitative data
(Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019).

In qualitative investigations, thematic content analysis is a typical data analysis method that
evolved from the grounded theory approach. This qualitative data analysis method includes the
study of transcripts, the identification of themes within the data collection, and the extraction of

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data examples from text. Included in the process of thematic content
analysis are the identification of topics and the development of a set of categories based on the
data. To get at these categories, the researcher identifies key components from interview
transcripts and attempts to confirm this list by repeating the process multiple times to identify
additional themes and categories. In order to accomplish this, the researcher must first study each
transcript and compile a list of the various terms, theories, and phrases discussed in the text
(Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). This procedure, known as open coding, aids the researcher in
compiling a list of summary phrases or words for each theme covered in the interview transcript.

In addition, in the second step of thematic content analysis, all the words and phrases extracted
from the transcripts of all the interviews are summarised into a new set of categories, thereby
decreasing the duplication and overlap of terms. Once these final categories have been
summarised, the researcher will move on to the next stage, which is the allocation of each
interview's key words and phrases to each category, which will help him or her produce and
present the qualitative research findings. The table below presents a hypothetical example of
qualitative data categories for the aforementioned research study, depending on specific research
questions. In addition, thematic content analysis is a strategy that relies on continuous
comparison analysis processes for the development of ways to comprehend human phenomena
within the context in which they are encountered (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019).

Constant analysis of comparisons This method analyses one item of data, like as a topic or word
from an interview, with all others that may be similar or distinct in order to build further
conceptualizations or theories of the probable relationships between many pieces of data
(Onwuegbuzie, Leech, & Collins, 2012).

In addition, qualitative data analysis software, such as CAQDAS packages or NVivo, can be
used to handle the analysis in accordance with the methodology described previously. Computer
packages may provide additional assistance in managing, sorting, and organising qualitative data
by identifying words and phrases and preparing diagrams; however, the researcher chose not to
utilise such computer packages in order to gain greater awareness and control over the process of
analysing qualitative research data.

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Quantitative Analyses

The process of studying data that is number-based or data that can readily be transformed into
numbers is referred to as quantitative data analysis and can be described in a number of different
ways. In order to achieve its goal of analysing the data gathered through numeric variables and
statistics, it is predicated on numerically and statistically describing and interpreting the objects
that it examines.

Quantitative data analysis methods often involve the use of algorithms, mathematical analytical
tools, and software in order to glean insights from the data and provide answers to queries like
"how many," "how often," and "how much." Data for quantitative data analysis is frequently
collected from outlets like surveys, questionnaires, polls, etc.

Quantitative analysis can be carried out in a number of different methods; descriptive statistics is
just one of them. As its name suggests, descriptive statistics are used to provide a description of a
dataset. By summarising the data and identifying patterns in the particular data sample, it makes
it easier to comprehend the specifics of the data you have. They provide absolute values derived
from a sample, but they do not necessarily explain the rationale behind the figures, and they are
usually used for analysing a single variable at a time. Inferential statistics are the second
approach to the analysis of quantitative data. The goal of quantitative research is to transform
unprocessed data into meaningful information by utilising numerical values. Descriptive
statistics is all about explaining details of a particular dataset by using numbers; however, it does
not explain the reasons behind the numbers; as a result, further research using inferential
statistics is required.

Using the examined data that was gained via descriptive statistics, inferential statistics attempt to
create predictions or highlight possible outcomes based on that data. They are used for testing
hypotheses that predict changes or differences, showing relationships that exist between
numerous variables, generalising results and making predictions between groups, and showing
relationships that exist between many variables.

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References
Adams, J., Khan, H.T.A. & Raeside, R. (2014) Research Methods for Business and Social
Science Students. 2nd Ed. Sage. India: New Delhi.

Gregar, J. (1994). Research design (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods

approaches). Book published by SAGE Publications, 228.

Creswell, J. W., Clark, V. P., & Garrett, A. L. (2008). Advances in mixed methods
research. Methodological issues in conducting mixed methods research designs.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Leech, N. L., & Collins, K. M. T. (2012). Qualitative analysis techniques
for the review of the literature. The Qualitative Report, 17(28), 1-28.

Patten, M. L. (2017). Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials.

Routledge.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2015) Research Methods for Business Students. 17th
Ed. Pearson Education: Essex.

Vaismoradi, M., & Snelgrove, S. (2019). Theme in qualitative content analysis and thematic
analysis. Forum : Qualitative Social Research, 20(3).

Verschuren, P., Doorewaard, H., & Mellion, M. J. (2010). Designing a research project (Vol. 2).
The Hague: Eleven International Publishing.

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