FAQ: How can I find qualitative or quantitative articles in the databases, and what's the difference between the two?
What is Qualitative Research?
Qualitative research explores people's experiences, feelings, or ideas using words, observations, and themes. Some aspects to look for when seeking out qualitative research are:
- Focus: Understanding meaning, experience, and perspectives
- Data Type: Words, images, stories, observations
- Questions Asked: Why? How?
- Methods: Interviews, focus groups, open-ended surveys, observations
- Results: Rich descriptions, themes, insights
- Example: Interview students about how they feel when studying online
Finding Qualitative Research in Shapiro Library
- Look for studies with interviews, observations, or open-ended questions.
- Use search terms like qualitative, case study, focus groups, or thematic analysis
- Check the Methodology or Abstract section-it often says "qualitative"
Example Search:
"college student stress" AND qualitative AND interviews
What is Quantitative Research?
Quantitative research measures and analyzes data using numbers, statistics, and patterns. Some aspects to look for when seeking out quantitative research are:
- Focus: Measuring variables, testing relationships, finding patterns
- Data Type: Numbers, statistics, measurable data
- Questions Asked: How many? How much? How often?
- Methods: Experiments, structured surveys, tests, numerical analysis
- Results: Charts, graphs, percentages, averages
- Example: Surveying 500 students to find what percentage prefer online vs. in-person classes
Finding Quantitative Research in Shapiro Library
- Look for studies with numbers, surveys, or experiments
- Use search terms like quantitative, statistical analysis, survey results, experiment, or correlation
- Check the Methodology or Abstract section-it often says "quantitative" or lists statistics
Example Search:
"college student stress" AND quantitative AND survey
Tip: If you don't want to narrow down your search to one or the other, using the keyword "research study" can help with narrowing down results that includes both study types. For example:
"college student stress" AND "research study"
Some databases provide method filters, while others require you to search with keywords. It's worth checking the Advanced Search area of your chosen database to see if that's an available option.
