QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE APPROACHES AND LONGITUDINAL VS CROSS-SECTIONAL RESEARCH

NO	QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH	QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
1	Describing a research problem through a description of trends or a need for an explanation of the relationship among variables	Exploring a problem and developing a detailed understanding of a central phenomenon
2	Providing a major role for the literature through suggesting the research questions to be asked and justifying the research problem and creating a need for the direction (purpose statement and research questions and hypotheses) of the study	Having the literature review paly a minor role but justify the problem
3	Creating purpose statements, research questions, and hypotheses that are specific, narrow, measureable, and observable	Stating the purpose and research questions in a general and broad way so as to the participants’ experiences
4	Collecting numeric data from a large number of people using instruments with preset questions and responses	Collecting data based on words from a small number of individuals so that the participants’ view are obtained
5	Analyzing trends, comparing groups, or relating variables using statistical analysis	Analyzing the data for description and themes using text analysis and interpreting the larger meaning of the findings
6	Writing the research report using standard, fixed structures and evaluation criteria, and taking an objecting, unbiased approach	Writing the report using flexible, emerging structures and evaluative criteria, and including the researchers’ subjective reflexivity and bias

A longitudinal survey design involves the survey procedure of collecting data about trends with the same population, changes in a cohort group or subpopulation, or changes in a panel group of the same individuals over time. Thus, in longitudinal designs, participants may be different or the same people. In a cross-sectional survey design, the researcher collects data at one point  in time.

 Longitudinal

1.      Trends Studies : Longitudinal survey designs that involve identifying a population and examining changes within that population overtime.

2.      Cohort Studies : Longitudinal survey design in which a researcher identifies a subpopulation based on the specific characteristic and then studies that subpopulation over time.

3.      Panel Studies : Longitudinal survey design in which the researcher examines the same people over time.

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