Qualitative vs. quantitative marketing research

Based on a phenomenological paradigm, qualitative research refers to observation and analysis of data that are not predetermined by the researcher. It assumes that reality is socially constructed through individual or collective definitions of the situation or environment. The goal of qualitative research is to capture the understanding of the social phenomenon as participants experience it. Therefore, qualitative research is not mainly concerned with establishing cause-and-effect relationships among variables of interest. Rather, it helps to identify new variables and questions for further research. The researcher is part of the phenomenon of interest. Another school of thought argues that qualitative research can also develop causal explanations of the phenomenon. Common qualitative research designs include ethnographies, grounded theory, case studies, participant observation, interviewing, and focus groups.

Quantitative research takes on a positivist perspective that social facts with an objective reality have nothing to do with the beliefs of individuals. The goal of quantitative research is to explain the causes of changes in social facts, primarily through objective analysis of data that are treated in magnitude. Quantitative research is more concerned with developing and empirically testing hypotheses. The researcher focuses more on established procedures rather than the individual judgment. Quantitative research attempts to reduce the amount of error in the study by designing and implementing appropriate sampling procedure (preferably random sampling) and instrumentation. Common quantitative research designs include surveys and experiments.