Method comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Method comparison - Essay Example Qualitative research focuses on subjective data that relates to feelings, thoughts, opinions, perceptions, and attitudes that are immeasurable. Examples of qualitative research are ethnography and observation. Ethnography as qualitative research method and process refers to the systematic study of people or groups of people with the objective of cultural interpretation (Westenholz-Bless & Achola, 2007). Observation, on the other hand, refers to the active investigation of processes or systems from their primary sources through the use of human senses; observation is sometimes referred to as eye witnessing. Quantitative research, on the other hand, refers to the scientific method of inquiry that is largely based on measurable data in the formulation of facts and investigating patterns in research. Quantitative research, therefore, is focused on the generation of numeric data with strong emphasis on objectivity. Examples of qualitative research are the surveys and the experiments. This paper focuses on the comparative advantages and disadvantages of the two categories of research; emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of the methods with strong regards to the subject of online dating. Online dating refers to a personal introductory system through which individuals or groups of individuals find and establish contacts with each other over the internet with the aim of developing personal, sexual or romantic relationships. Online dating is one of the many concepts that have developed from the internet based technology (Smith & Duggan, 2013). It is a major social issue influencing social relationships in almost every aspect. This paper will first discuss the comparative advantages of the two research methods then later on discuss the weaknesses. To begin with, qualitative research methods generate rich and comprehensive information about the investigated subjects. This is in line with its wide scope of coverage, ranging