Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

You can find evidence for clinical decision making in quantitative and qualitative research studies. Quantitative research refers to any research based on something that can be accurately and precisely measured and will include studies that have numerical data. Quantitative data are expressed numerically and analyzed statistically. The data are collected from experiments and tests, metrics, databases, and surveys. In healthcare research they  often  include studies of intervention effectiveness, satisfaction with care, the incidence, prevalence, and etiology of diseases, and the properties of measurement tools (Kolaski, 2023).

Findings in qualitative studies are not based on measurable statistics. Qualitative data are descriptive rather than numerical. Qualitative research derives data from observation, interviews, verbal interactions, or textual analyses and focuses on the meanings and interpretations of the participants. Qualitative research studies in healthcare investigate the impact of illnesses and interventions. The research explores experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives of patients, caregivers, and clinicians (Kolaski, 2023). The analysis of qualitative research is interpretative, subjective, and impressionistic. 

References

Kolaski, K., Logan, L. R., & Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2023). Guidance to best tools and practices for systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 96. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02255-9

For more information on qualitative research:

Curtis, A. & Keeler, C. (2022). An introduction to qualitative methods for the nurse researcher. American Journal of Nursing, 122 (8), 52-56. https://doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000854992.17329.51.

Noyes, J., Booth, A., Cargo, M., Flemming, K., Harden, A., Harris, J., Garside, R., Hannes, K., Pantoja, T., & Thomas, J. (2023). Chapter 21: Qualitative evidence. In Higgins, J.P.T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M.J., Welch, V.A. (Eds.). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions version 6.4. Cochrane. www.training.cochrane.org/handbook

Video: UniversityNow: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

Appraising Quantitative and Qualitative Research

The articles below provide a step-by-step appraisal on how to critique quantitative and qualitative research articles:

Ryan, F., Coughlan, M. & Cronin, P. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 1: quantitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(11), 658-663.

Ryan, F., Coughlan, M. & Cronin, P. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 2: qualitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(2), 738-744.