It is important to note that research designs can be divided into three distinct groups. These include quantitative studies, qualitative studies, and mixed-method studies, with the latter being the combination of the former two. The key features of quantitative research design are the use of numerical values as well as strict adherence to statistical and mathematical precision, whereas qualitative research is mostly categorical and descriptive.
The key difference between qualitative and quantitative data is that the latter uses numeric variables. In other words, the core questions asked about datasets are ‘how often,’ ‘how much,’ or ‘how many?’ Quantitative research “refers to a set of strategies, techniques, and assumptions used to study psychological, social, and economic processes through the exploration of numeric patterns” (University of Texas Arlington Libraries, 2022, para. 1). In contrast, qualitative data focuses more on types, categories, or symbols, which means categorical variables are of prime interest. The typical or standard question for acquiring qualitative data is ‘what type?’ When it comes to the PICOT question, both clinical practice of hourly rounding and clinical questions on patient falls are primarily quantitative. The practice measures the frequency as well as hourly duration metrics, whereas the falls are measured in a number of incidents.
In conclusion, it should be noted that qualitative research is mostly categorical and descriptive, whereas quantitative research design uses numerical values as well as strict adherence to statistical and mathematical precision. Thus, if variables of interest are numbers, then it implies a quantitative research design and data, where math and statistics are highly relevant. However, if the findings and descriptions are categorical, such as education, workload, or experience, the research utilizes qualitative data and design.
Reference
University of Texas Arlington Libraries. (2022). Quantitative and qualitative research. Web.