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Family Studies

Family sciences research guide for TWU students, faculty and staff.

Welcome Box

Welcome to Research Methods
in Family Science

TWU Library

Qualitative and Quantitative

BACKGROUND:

Qualitative research contains descriptive data (the sensory - listening, observing, etc.) and focuses on interpretive discussion about meanings, themes or patterns. 

Quantitative research contains variables and numerical values that measure something (concept, construct, etc.).

SEARCH HINT:
The words Qualitative and Quantitative used as keyword search terms will retrieve some articles, but this is not the best strategy.

These two terms delineate categories of research findings, but Google and Libraryland indexers don’t always make that kind of categorical distinction.

Try using search terms that target specific types of research methodology which produce either qualitative or quantitative results – RCTs, meta-analyses, co-relational studies, case studies, focus groups, phenomenology, etc.

Below are some terms to use when looking for articles that produce either qualitative or quantitative research results. This list is NOT comprehensive.

Suggested Search Terms:
Research Methodology Terms:

     QUANTitative

    QUALitative

 

Systematic review

Cohort Study

 

Meta-analysis

Case Report, Case Study, Case

 

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Comparative Study

 

Controlled Trial

Survey

 

Clinical Trial

Questionnaire

 

Cohort Study

Grounded Theory

 

Comparative Study

Ethnographic Study

 

Longitudinal Study

Phenomenological Study

 

Population Study

Life Narrative (biography)

 

Retrospective Study

Lived Experience

       

General Terms:

 

Clinical

perception

 

Statistics

experimental

 

Data

experiential

 

Numerical

single-case

 

Validity

exploration

 

reliability

observation, observational

 

measurement

participant observation

 

co-relational

evaluation

 

 

focus group

 

 

interview

 

 

triangulation

 

 

trustworthiness

 

 

authenticity