writing

ESSAY

COMPARISON- CONTRAST

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

                   In order to improve the quality of education, so many effort to improve the quality of education needs to be done through research. To do research accuratelly, it is necessary to use appropriate research methods. The research method can be generally classified into three, namely quantitative and qualitative methods and methods of R & D (research and development). Quantitative research is referred to as the traditional method, positivistic, and confirmatory. While qualitative research is often referred to as a new method, postpositivistic, discovery, and interpretative. Differences in the two methods, not merely one use number and the other does not. The second difference is the method includes the basic axioms, the research process and the characteristics of the research itself. In terms of process, deductive quantitative research and qualitative research is inductive. The existence of such a method does not need to be in disputed, because precisely complementary to one another. One way to choose between two methods that will be using to make a thesis are knowing similarities and differences between them before doing the research.

             The similarities between quantitative and qualitative research are equally a method of study, there are four key words to note are a scientific way, the data, the purpose and usefulness. Scientific way mean that research activities are based on the characteristics of science, namely the rational, empirical, and systematic. Both of the data obtained through research is empirical data that have certain criteria that is valid. A similarity is that both quantitative and qualitative have the same purpose and usefulness. In general research purposes, there are three kinds of inventive, verification, and development. Discovery means that the data obtained from the study is that the data which exactly new that has not previously been known. Verification means that the data obtained was used to prove the existence of doubt as to the specific information or knowledge. Development means deepen and broaden existing knowledge .

             Eventhough the quantitative and qualitative research have the same about scientific way, aim, and usefulness. There are big differences between quantitative and qualitative research in the definition, design, goals, and analysis.

             One obvious difference is the definition. Quantitative research method can be interpreted as a research method that is based on the philosophy of positivism, used to examine the population or a particular sample, the sampling technique is generally done at random, data collection using research instruments, analysis of quantitative data/statistics with the aim to test the hypothesis that has been set. In contrast, method of qualitative research is a research method that is based on the philosophy postpositivisme, is used to examine the condition of the object that is natural, where researchers are a key instrument, sample data source is done by purposive and snowbaal, collection techniques by triangulation, data analysis is inductive/qualitative, and qualitative research results further emphasize the significance of the generalization.

             Another difference between the two methods are the design of the study. More specific quantitative method, determined on a steady basis since the beginning, and be hold step by step; in contrast, qualitative methods are more common, flexible, evolving, and appears in the research process.

             The next of differences between qualitative research and quantitative research are goals. The purpose of using quantitative research is to show the relationship between variables, test theories and seek generalizations that have predictied value; however, the purpose of using qualitative research is to find a pattern of relationships which are interactive, find a theory, describing the complex reality and gain an understanding of meaning.

             The last difference between quantitative and qualitative research are analysis. In the quantitative research analysis was performed after data collection, deductive, and using statistics to test the hypothesis. In contrast analyzes were performed on qualitative research continuously since the beginning to the end of the study, inductive and look for patterns, models, theme, theory.

             To conclude, in research there are two kinds of method that using to do that; quantitative and qualitative methods. Both of them have similarities and differences. With explanation above, researcher have to choose the best method to make more understand and based on their mastered and ability. So with knowing the similarities and differences between quantitative and qualitative method, the researchers could use one of methods that really according to their ability.