COMPARISON OF

QUALITATIVE, QUANTITATIVE,
AND MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
CHARACTERISTICS MIXED METHODS
METHODS METHODS

DEGREE OF
Both predetermined
PREDETERMINED Predetermined Emerging methods
and emerging methods
NATURE

Both open- and

QUESTIONS Instrument based Open-ended
closed-ended

Performance, attitude, Multiple forms of data Interview, observation,

DATA TYPES
observational, and census drawing on all possibilities document, and audiovisual

Statistical and
ANALYSIS Statistical analysis Text and image analysis
text analysis

Across databases Themes, patterns

INTERPRETATION Statistical interpretation
interpretation interpretation

MAY EMPLOY Phenomenology, grounded

Sequential, convergent,
THESE STRATEGIES Surveys, experiments theory, ethnography,
and embedded
OF INQUIRY case studies, narrative

Source: Research Design, 5e by John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell

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