What are the criteria for selecting qualitative versus quantitative resources in relation to your literature review?
DNP 820 Topic 4 Discussion Question Two

What are the criteria for selecting qualitative versus quantitative resources in relation to your literature review? Which method(s) of research are you selecting? Why?

Quantitative and qualitative research use different research methods to collect and analyze data, and they allow you to answer different kinds of research questions.

Qualitative vs. quantitative research
Quantitative research Qualitative Research
Focuses on testing theories and hypotheses Focuses on exploring ideas and formulating a theory or hypothesis
Analyzed through math and statistical analysis Analyzed by summarizing, categorizing and interpreting
Mainly expressed in numbers, graphs and tables Mainly expressed in words
Requires many respondents Requires few respondents
Closed (multiple choice) questions Open-ended questions
Key terms: testing, measurement, objectivity, replicability Key terms: understanding, context, complexity, subjectivity
Data collection methods
Quantitative and qualitative data can be collected using various methods. It is important to use a data collection method that will help answer your research question(s).

DNP 820 Topic 4 Discussion Question Two
DNP 820 Topic 4 Discussion Question Two

Many data collection methods can be either qualitative or quantitative. For example, in surveys, observations or case studies, your data can be represented as numbers (e.g. using rating scales or counting frequencies) or as words (e.g. with open-ended questions or descriptions of what you observe).

However, some methods are more commonly used in one type or the other.

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: DNP 820 Topic 4 Discussion Question Two

Quantitative data collection methods
Surveys: List of closed or multiple choice questions that is distributed to a sample (online, in person, or over the phone).
Experiments: Situation in which variables are controlled and manipulated to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Observations: Observing subjects in a natural environment where variables can’t be controlled.
Qualitative data collection methods
Interviews: Asking open-ended questions verbally to respondents.
Focus groups: Discussion among a group of people about a topic to gather opinions that can be used for further research.
Ethnography: Participating in a community or organization for an extended period of time to closely observe culture and behavior.
Literature review: Survey of published works by other authors.
When to use qualitative vs. quantitative research
A rule of thumb for deciding whether to use qualitative or quantitative data is:

Use quantitative research if you want to confirm or test something (a theory or hypothesis)
Use qualitative research if you want to understand something (concepts, thoughts, experiences)
For most research topics you can choose a qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods approach. Which type you choose depends on, among other things, whether you’re taking an inductive vs. deductive research approach; your research question(s); whether you’re doing experimental, correlational, or descriptive research; and practical considerations such as time, money, availability of data, and access to respondents.

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: DNP 820 Topic 4 Discussion Question Two