Hello class,
In this weeks assigned reading we were presented with the different types of research. When it comes to nursing research, the two most relevant types pertaining to our field are quantitative and qualitative research. As presented by Tappen (2015), although quantitative and qualitative research do have overlapping characteristics (such as the analysis of data to better understand and define the unknown), they do have some key distinctions and differences. These include the fact that quantitative research (also known as scientific research) is systematic, empirical, and controlled. Qualitative research instead aims to study and interpret phenomena in their natural setting and in a way that is meaningful to individuals. Furthermore, the ultimate purpose of qualitative research is discovery, while for quantitative research it is instead verification. Other important distinctions include their views on reality, which is subjective for qualitative, and objective for quantitative. Their philosophical perspectives also differ, being naturalistic for qualitative research and positivistic for quantitative. Yet another distinction is what criteria they use for merit, which for qualitative research encompasses trustworthiness, while quantitative research merits validity and reliability. (Tappen, 2015, p. 42). I would choose to develop a research project that is quantitative over qualitative due to my own personal emphasis on the importance of reliability, validity, consistency, and reproducibility of tests and experiments. Some of the considerations to keep in mind when deciding between quantitative and qualitative research include, as stated previously, if the focus is objective rather than subjective, whether or not there is a rigid focus on the analysis of data and the validity of the data being measured, as well as what the nature of the research being conducted is, as quantitative research tends to be utilized for the verification of hypotheses, while qualitative deals more with discovery and the understanding of meanings and insight.
Reference
Tappen, R. M. (2015). Advanced Nursing Research (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. Retrieved from
