Qualitative research is regarded as exploratory and is used to uncover trends in thoughts and opinions, while quantitative research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. How much or many quantities are needed? It is an unstructured type of research. Qualitative research is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting non-numerical data, such as language. One advantage of qualitative methods in exploratory research is that use of open-ended questions and probing gives participants the opportunity to respond in their own words, rather than forcing them to choose from fixed responses, as quantitative methods do. Quantitative data and research is used to study trends across large groups in a precise way. Suppose a company has an exploratory study to sell furniture. As per the qualitative research definition, it is exploratory research that is used to understand the reasons and opinions of individuals. Moreover, it is an important market-based research study that focuses on obtaining qualitative data through open-ended conversations. Descriptive research on the other hand, aims at … An example of quantitative research would be a randomized controlled trial. Exploratory research is inexpensive, interactive, unrestricted, and open-ended in nature. Examples include clinical trials or censuses. Qualitative data and research is used to study individual cases and to find out how people think or feel in detail. An exploratory study can be both qualitative and quantitative at the same time. Characteristics of Exploratory Research. What is Qualitative Research? What the qualities desired? Qualitative case study methodology provides tools for researchers to study complex phenomena within their contexts. The major difference between exploratory and descriptive research is that Exploratory research is one which aims at providing insights into and comprehension of the problem faced by the researcher. For instance, in qualitative research, a popular 'generic' approach is qualitative 'descriptive exploratory' (free-form) research - so it is both. Qualitative research can be used to understand how an individual subjectively perceives and gives meaning to their social reality. Abstract . ; No pre-research is conducted to support exploratory research and even there is no prior information available on the problem from the past research It is a major feature of case studies. Qualitative Case Study Methodology: Study Design and Implementation for Novice Researchers . You should use qualitative research when your main objective is to understand motivations, opinions or to gather insight to create a hypothesis to test with quantitative research. You should use quantitative research to quantify data and to measure findings from qualitative research. When the approach is applied correctly, it becomes a valuable method for health science When to use qualitative vs. quantitative research?