Question

Explain why it is important to use both qualitative data and quantitative data.

Answer 1

Using both qualitative and quantitative data is crucial because they provide complementary insights - quantitative data offers statistical analysis, while qualitative data provides deeper understanding of experiences and behaviors.

Step-by-step explanation:

It is important to use both qualitative and quantitative data because they provide different, complementary types of information that, when combined, offer a comprehensive understanding of research subjects. Quantitative data is numerical and can be used to uncover patterns and trends through statistical analysis. It provides a broad overview and is essential for making comparisons, such as understanding the demographic profiles of prisoners in the earlier example. On the other hand, qualitative data is descriptive, offering deeper insights into the 'why' and 'how' behind human behaviors, thoughts, and experiences. For instance, by interviewing prisoners about their motivations for pursuing educational opportunities, researchers can understand personal experiences and contextual factors influencing behavior. Mixed methods of research, which combine both quantitative and qualitative data, are particularly valuable as they enable researchers to validate and enrich their findings to gain a more holistic view of the subject matter. In essence, qualitative data provides context to the numerical insights from quantitative data, enhancing the overall research quality.

Answer 2

Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data can improve an evaluation by ensuring that the limitations of one type of data are balanced by the strengths of another. This will ensure that understanding is improved by integrating different ways of knowing.