How evidence is gathered.
WHAT QUANTITATIVE METHODS DO
Measure and count, producing numerical data.
WHAT THEY SUIT
Questions of how much, how many, how often, and whether a relationship exists.
WHAT QUALITATIVE METHODS DO
Explore meaning, experience and reasons, producing descriptive data.
WHAT THEY SUIT
Questions of why and how.
WHAT MIXED APPROACHES DO
Combine both, where each answers part of the question.
WHAT COMMON METHODS EXIST
Surveys Interviews Observation Experiments Case studies Analysis of existing data and documents
WHAT DETERMINES THE CHOICE
The question.
Not preference, and not what is convenient.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FOR ANY METHOD
What data it produces Whether that answers your question What its limitations are
WHAT EVERY METHOD HAS
Limitations. State them.
WHY
Acknowledging limitations strengthens work rather than weakening it.
WHAT TO PLAN
How the data will be analysed, before collecting it.
