定性研究和定量研究的区别论文the difference and combination of quantitative and qualitative research精选.doc

The Difference and Combination of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Abstract: Quantitative research and qualitative research are two basic paradigms and methods, each with different concept, nature, fundamental theory, and research process. Recently, there are more and more arguments about the tow methods and more and more scholars promote the combination of them in researches. This thesis demonstrates the differences between the two methods and also analyzes the combination of them and its significance in researches. Key words: Quantitative research, qualitative research, difference, combination Section One The Introduction of Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research There are two paradigms in social science research. One is the positivist methodology and the other is the humanist methodology. The positivist methodology simulates the natural science and uses inductive method to discover new knowledge, uses the “hypothesis-deduction” mode to test theory (Kerlinger, 1964), uses the method of mathematical statistics to analyze quantizable empirical observation and to assure the cause-and-effect relationship. In comparison, the humanist methodology derives from humanist science and emphasizes collecting, comprehending and explaining documents. Quantitative research is the specification of the positivist methodology and it emphasizes on the quantitative analysis and statistical calculation, including experimental method, quasi-experimental method and questionnaire method, etc. Quantitative research emerged after 1940s’. The nature of quantitative research is the use of statistic model to test the relativity between the independent variable and the dependent variable, and in turn to test the hypothesis and to deduce the cause-and-effect relationship between the variables. Quantitative research is widely employed in various researches, such as social science research, environment and ecology research, energy research and so on. In practice, quantitative researc