This was very interesting to read -- I appreciate the authors taking the time to review literature and establishing the fact that there are far more quantitative based research being published than qualitative.
In my limited experience, I think I've also been indirectly taught that sort of bias against qualitative research. As the article here says, qualitative is sometimes viewed as "[lacking] scientific accuracy" or a "second class citizen." And... perhaps this probably isn't very fair towards those scholars and researchers who do serious and good work in qualitative-heavy fields like anthropology and psychology (?).
I wonder where this bias comes from? Is it because qualitative research lacks meaningful argumentation? (A bunch of us just went to talk this morning on structuring effective arguments using claim, evidence, warrant, rebut, etc., so this is what's on my mind at the moment.) Or are we supposed to establish a "different/separate but equal" standard when we evaluate qualitative research?
I'll acknowledge my bias as a fan of qualitative research methods up front. From my point of view, when dealing with social and behavioral topics, surveys are too limiting. They force the researchers to infer the reasons for behavior and force the subjects into answering in a particular fashion, rather than simply asking why and allowing the subjects to state their reasons.
I think part of the bias against qualitative studies is unfamiliarity with the methods and standards associated with them. The data are not concrete, as with quantitative research, and that absolutely can make them suspect.
But you can have biased, misinterpreted quantitative data too.
Particularly with respect to health care decision-making and issues of behavior change and community-based participatory research, qualitative methods definitely have a place.
You can only learn so much from answers to closed-ended questions.
If you've got the opportunity to take Dr. Chin's qualitative methods class, I highly recommend it. Even if you don't think qualitative is a style of research you want to pursue, the skills you gain in her class are really practical for any setting.
This was very interesting to read -- I appreciate the authors taking the time to review literature and establishing the fact that there are far more quantitative based research being published than qualitative.
ReplyDeleteIn my limited experience, I think I've also been indirectly taught that sort of bias against qualitative research. As the article here says, qualitative is sometimes viewed as "[lacking] scientific accuracy" or a "second class citizen." And... perhaps this probably isn't very fair towards those scholars and researchers who do serious and good work in qualitative-heavy fields like anthropology and psychology (?).
I wonder where this bias comes from? Is it because qualitative research lacks meaningful argumentation? (A bunch of us just went to talk this morning on structuring effective arguments using claim, evidence, warrant, rebut, etc., so this is what's on my mind at the moment.) Or are we supposed to establish a "different/separate but equal" standard when we evaluate qualitative research?
Thoughts?
I'll acknowledge my bias as a fan of qualitative research methods up front. From my point of view, when dealing with social and behavioral topics, surveys are too limiting. They force the researchers to infer the reasons for behavior and force the subjects into answering in a particular fashion, rather than simply asking why and allowing the subjects to state their reasons.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the bias against qualitative studies is unfamiliarity with the methods and standards associated with them. The data are not concrete, as with quantitative research, and that absolutely can make them suspect.
But you can have biased, misinterpreted quantitative data too.
Particularly with respect to health care decision-making and issues of behavior change and community-based participatory research, qualitative methods definitely have a place.
You can only learn so much from answers to closed-ended questions.
If you've got the opportunity to take Dr. Chin's qualitative methods class, I highly recommend it. Even if you don't think qualitative is a style of research you want to pursue, the skills you gain in her class are really practical for any setting.