Qualitative research process allows researchers to gain a holistic overview of the research’s context and capture data on the knowledge of various participants. In Creswell (2009), qualitative research method deals with research strategies, such as ethnography, grounded theory, case studies, phenomenological research, and narrative research. The best of my favorites is the case studies: a tactical review aimed at reconnoitering depth platform, activity, or method of subject matter. In this inquiry, researchers tend to collect vital information in terms of time and space over a retro of time. Research questions and testable hypothesis are essential elements lessening the purpose statement. According to Creswell (2009), qualitative research questions like the ones in the article of Mendenhall, and Doherty (2007) ask one central question and many sub-questions that support the study statement.
There are many reasons why survey could be important in collecting community health data. However, it is important to have groups of community members who will participate in the community survey and be able to fully symbolize the whole target population (i.e. the community at large). The advantage of using a survey sampling is that it is more practical and less costly in collecting data from the population. The risk is that the selected sample might not adequately reflect the traits of behaviors, symptoms, or beliefs of the population. Various methods of obtaining a sample could be available to the assessor. The most sophisticated sampling method would probably be probability sampling, which uses random procedures to select the sample. In a probability sample, every member of the community has an equal possibility of being included in the sample (Boyd, n.d.). The article by Patten et al. (2008) described vivid relationships between research questions and testable hypothesis. The article is presented as quantitative with proposed variables and measured data to support the testing of a new approach to smoking cessation. The testing approach will utilize support persons, as the agent of change. In this article, there were research questions asked, which helped to answer research problems.
According to Creswell (2009), choosing research questions is the central focus of both qualitative and quantitative research approach, and should be clear, accurate and crisp in nature. The research questions of developing telephone-based intervention for support persons, and to help smokers quit are answered by quantitative questions. Some of the answered questions include whether the questions attempt to describe responses related to whether the intervention was viable and suitable to both support persons and smokers? Whether there were inferential questions that preceded from a theory point of view? In this case, the social cognitive theory was used in crafting inferential questions. Creswell (2009) identified strategies of inquiry as a type of research investigation, which a researcher, not only pick from the 3 research methods but select and/or aim at specifying guiding practice of research design. With the advent of individuals’ expansion of thinking, and as new technologies emerged, such as computer information system, researchers grow new and more strategies to articulate research design. The advancements of information system and researchers’ articulation of new procedures and techniques created survey strategies of inquiry and experimental approaches of inquiry.
Creswell (2009) described quantitative hypothesis as the extrapolations made in relation to the expected variables. In the article of Patten et al. (2009), the numerical data were use in two-fold process that aimed at using 10 adult non-smoking females, which completed interventional action procedure, comparing six 20-30 minutes sessions and written materials. Newman, Ridenour, Newman & DeMarco (2003) suggested the important of testing new ideas (i.e. testable hypothesis) in expressing statements of relationships among variables. It is important to gather data on the variables and test the likelihood of coexisting, Ridenour, Newman & DeMarco (2003).
Theory of quantitative research deals with connected variables that can be formed as hypothesis and that identify variable relationships in size and trends. Theories usually appear in research study to help explain arguments and expand discussions, numerical data and/or help to foresee a set of data. Quantitative theory is used in many phases of study and can be positioned toward the beginning of a proposed study. Qualitative theories unlike quantitative approach use theories in much more and wider ways to ascertain relevant information of a study. However, some of the theories are used as a broad evidence for understanding behavior pattern and activities of information, not necessarily numerical and quantity in formation. Additionally, there is the idea that social science theory is a central model for mixed methods research.
Boyd, N. (n.d.). Probability Sampling Methods: Definition & Types.
Creswell, J. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Handout: Research Questions and Hypotheses Checklist (Word document).
Study.com. Retrieved from http://study.com/academy/lesson/probability-sampling-methods-definition-types.html
Patten, C. A., Petersen, L. R., Brockman, T. A., Gerber, T., Offord, K. P., Ebbert, J. O., Hughes. C. A., Boness, J. (2008). Development of a telephone-based intervention for support persons to help smokers quit. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 13(1), 17-28.
Newman, I., Ridenour, C. S., Newman, C., & DeMarco, G. M. P. (2003). A typology of research purposes and its relationship to mixed methods. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 167-188). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
