Purpose: explore, explain, gain understanding of underlying reasons, uncover trends
Approach: inductive, value-laden/subjective, holistic, process-oriented
Hypotheses: tentative, evolving, based on the particular study
Setting: naturalistic, as much as possible
Sampling: for the purpose, not necessarily representative, small sample size
Measurement: narrative, ongoing
Design and Method: Non-intervention, minimal disturbance, such as historical, ethnographic, or case studies; focus groups; interviews; participation/observation
Data Analysis: raw data is words, not numbers
Purpose: quantify a problem by generating numerical data
Hypotheses: based on previous studies, ask questions that require numerical answers
Sampling: ideally randomized; larger sample sizes that represent a population
Measurement: objective, can be replicated/repeated
Design and Method: surveys, longitudinal studies, systematic observations
Data Analysis: raw data is numbers; analyzed using statistics; results generalized to larger population