Navigating the Qualitative/Quantitative Schism Q&A
What do I do if I am a qualitative researcher in a heavily quantitative program?
There are several steps you can take if you think of yourself as a “qualitative graduate student” in a heavily quantitative program. Even a heavily quantitative program will typically have one or two qualitative researchers, so find that professor (or professors as the case may be) and strike up a conversation. Let him or her know that you are interested in qualitative work and you would like to learn more about this methodology. If your program offers funding through research assistantships, ask to be placed with a qualitative professor – or even better, ask the professor to request you specifically. If this option is not available to you, ask to do an independent study or take a class with the professor. In some cases you may have to look outside of the department which may not be ideal but may be your best choice in some programs. Regardless of the approach, you want to build a rapport with professor(s) who do qualitative work so that you can both learn and make connections through his or her network of qualitative researchers.
Your program will likely require several quantitative methods courses, but you should look into qualitative methods courses either in your department or other, closely related programs (e.g., public affairs, education, psychology, sociology, or social work). These courses not only introduce you to other methods that might not be commonly used in criminology, but they can also teach methods that you might not be able to learn in your own department. In the same vein, look for professors in other disciplines that are well-versed in qualitative methods, build relationships with them, and ask them to serve on your dissertation committee (assuming that your program allows this).
Keep in mind that quantitative methods courses can teach concepts that are also important in qualitative research. For example, considerations related to sampling and statistical power can be equally as important in qualitative and quantitative studies. Additionally, these courses can put you in contact with professors who might be able to assist you in incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods into a project using mixed methodologies (see below). Do your best to strengthen both your qualitative and quantitative skills – you never know when you might need that negative binomial regression model!
In sum, if you are a qualitative researcher in a heavily quantitative program, you will likely need to compromise during your studies. Once you graduate, however, you will be free to choose your research agenda and methodologies. So remember that even if you have to do a quantitative analysis for an elective class or are required to take a couple of quantitative methods courses, it will not last forever.
Do I have to pick one (qualitative OR quantitative)?
As you enter graduate school, you may feel the need to “pick one,” or in other words, pick whether you want to be a qualitative researcher OR a quantitative researcher. A variety of factors may impact this decision including your coursework, advice from mentors, thesis/dissertation research, and your general interests. However, it is not necessary to “pick one” and you may even want to consider leaving your options open, after all you have only just begun your academic career! Furthermore, many researchers choose a “mixed methods” approach (see below for more suggestions about this research approach). That being said, during your time in graduate school, there are a few ideas you may want to keep in mind.
First, you might consider focusing primarily on building your skillset in one area so that you can have a firm grounding in one type of methods before trying to learn another. In many graduate programs, courses in quantitative methods are required, thus you might consider focusing on quantitative methods in graduate school and then building your qualitative skillset when you have finished graduate school. On the other hand, if you are a part of a program that offers multiple courses in qualitative methods, you might consider taking advantage of the qualitative coursework and working with qualitative mentors while in graduate school. Either way, consider both your interests and what your graduate program provides.
In addition, some graduate students feel a strong push to finish their thesis/dissertation in a certain number of years (this is often dependent on funding). For most thesis/dissertation projects, quantitative methods-based projects have a shorter timeline than qualitative methods-based projects. If you decide to do a quantitative methods-based project, this may allow you to finish “faster” than if you choose to work on a qualitative methods-based project (although this is not necessarily the case). Because timelines are important in graduate school, it is perfectly acceptable to choose a project based on the expected feasibility of the project and the amount of time you think it will take to finish the project. Keep in mind, however, that even if your thesis/dissertation is based on one type of methods (qualitative or quantitative) that doesn’t mean you can’t work on other types of project after graduate school. In other words, the methods you choose to use in your thesis/dissertation do not necessarily dictate your methods choices for the rest of your entire academic career.
In sum, you don’t need to “pick one.” Many researchers have both quantitative and qualitative skills. You may, however, consider “picking one” while you are in graduate school based on what your graduate program provides and your research interests.
How can I do mixed methods?
Utilizing a “mixed methods” approach simply means employing quantitative and qualitative methodology in one study. By utilizing this approach, researchers are able to analyze social problems from an overall perspective as well as gather vital contextual information that often exist “behind the numbers.” Utilizing a mixed methods approach can be difficult and time-consuming. As discussed in question two, gathering qualitative data can be particularly labor-intensive and a slower process compared to gathering quantitative data. Therefore, before traveling down this path of knowledge, students should consider the constraints mentioned in question two (e.g. timelines, funding, etc.).
Provided you accept the challenge, the next step is to plan how and when you will collect your data. Ensure you set realistic dates and give yourself space in the event you run into a pitfall. For example, in the course of my dissertation (which utilized mixed methods), I held two focus groups – both of which failed because no participants showed up. Therefore, I needed time to reassess and create another plan of approach. However, this also entailed going back through my university’s IRB office and gathering the necessary approvals for my new approach. In the end, I was able to keep to my original schedule, because I was generous with my due dates for data collection (realizing that the best-laid plans do not always work).
Finally, part of establishing realistic dates entails deciding what type of data collection you intend to conduct. For example, utilizing a mixed methods approach can entail collecting quantitative data as well as qualitative data gathered through focus groups. If focus groups are not feasible, as in my case, conducting one-on-one interviews over the phone or in person is also an option. There are strengths and weaknesses to each of these approaches – as well as practical considerations depending on the topic you are studying – that you will want to consider with the assistance of your advisor. However, in the end, being able to provide readers with both the “big picture” as well as contextual information on your topic is extremely rewarding. Aside from that, utilizing a mixed methods approach enables students to acquire experience in conducting both quantitative and qualitative data collection.