The best way to appreciate difference between Quantitative and Qualitative research approaches is to contrast them.
Quantiative Research |
Qualitative Research |
|
| Also Known As | positivist/hypotetico-deductive | interpretative/responsive |
| Type of Reasoning | (usually) deductive | (usually) inductive |
| Objective | Validate insights by testing hypotheses | Generate insights that lead to hypothesses |
| Outcomes | Accept or reject a proposed theory, or get specific answers to well-defined questions. | Illuminate a situation to create deeper understanding and insights |
| Methods | Quantiative, rigorous | Qualitative,eclectic |
| Approach to Validity | truth seen as objective and universal | truth seen as subjective and socially constructed |
| Source – Mohan Sawhney , Catherine Dolan | ||
The key point to note when undertaking Customer Research to build/improve new/existing product is that: it isn’t simply a choice between choosing either a Qualitative and Quantitative approach. As Mohan Sawhney rightly puts it
Qualitative research and quantiative research need to go hand in hand for true customer understanding. Qualitative research generates insights, while quantitative research validates insights. You need both research traditions, and in the right sequence
