Areas of Contrast Between the Qualitative Research Tradition and the Quantitative Research Tradition

Quantitative Research Tradition

Qualitative Research Tradition

Hypothesis verification

Hypothesis generation

Deductive logic

Inductive logic

Controlled environments

Natural environments

Importance of individuals

Importance of contexts

Focus on products

Focus on processes

Knowledge is discovered

Knowledge is invented

Assumes complexity

Assumes simplicity

Assumes differences

Assumes similarities

Assumes importance of research topic a priori

Does not assume importance of research topic a priori

Assumes no human will

Assumes human will

Oriented to prediction and control

Oriented to understanding and prediction

Power orientation

Authority orientation

Rests on positivistic philosophy

Rests on existential philosophy