Qualitative vs. quantitative debate
The qualitative vs. quantitative debate in use of research methods is an old one. I am at this time in my PhD faced with the challenge of identifying what research methods I would use for my dissertation. My background in computer science makes me reluctant to trust qualitative methods. I find comfort in hypothesis, numbers, and statistical analyses. Also, with respect to modeling, qualitative methods can provide mainly descriptive models while my goal is to develop a predictive model of emergency department overcrowding.
What I would ideally like to do is used mixed methodology. My plan is to collect qualitative data by talking to people about their work in the ED. I would then analyse the qualitative data (eg: interview and focus group transcripts) to identify the variables that are important to the understanding of the problem according to the people who are faced with the problem, i.e., healthcare providers working in the ED. These variables will then be used to construct a predictive model that will be quantitatively evaluated. Using qualitative methods as the starting point of my research will ensure that my model is grounded in the 'socially constructed reality' of the emergency department. A quantitative evaluation will ensure that the model works with real-world data and hence is valid.
While it sounds like the perfect methodology, mixed method research is not easy. Qualitative and quantitative methods have different underlying philisophical assumptions which can easily be ignored when switching between one and the other. I need to read more on mixed methodology.
What I would ideally like to do is used mixed methodology. My plan is to collect qualitative data by talking to people about their work in the ED. I would then analyse the qualitative data (eg: interview and focus group transcripts) to identify the variables that are important to the understanding of the problem according to the people who are faced with the problem, i.e., healthcare providers working in the ED. These variables will then be used to construct a predictive model that will be quantitatively evaluated. Using qualitative methods as the starting point of my research will ensure that my model is grounded in the 'socially constructed reality' of the emergency department. A quantitative evaluation will ensure that the model works with real-world data and hence is valid.
While it sounds like the perfect methodology, mixed method research is not easy. Qualitative and quantitative methods have different underlying philisophical assumptions which can easily be ignored when switching between one and the other. I need to read more on mixed methodology.
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