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Qualitative Research Vs. Quantitative Research in Counseling Research

Counseling research is read by most practicing counselors who are interested in keeping up to date on issues and approaches for assisting their patients. Topics can be about theory or practice and can include education or special education. Issues addressed in counseling range tremendously from eating disorders to schizophrenia, or even to marriage counseling. The spectrum is varied tremendously. This research is attained through two approaches -- qualitative and quantitative.

  1. Qualitative Research

    • Qualitative research means to collect data that's describable and observable. This involves observing behaviors and appearances. This style of research is less subjective than quantitative because two people could observe the same thing and come to different conclusions. Other techniques of acquiring qualitative data include focus groups, interviews and observations.

    Quantitative Research

    • Quantitative research is based on numbers, statistics and measurements. You might use quantitative research in describing your subject, such as white female, age 35 and has a family history of alcoholism. These are all measurable, hard facts.

    Which Style Should You Use?

    • Your research question determines the style of research you will use. If you're evaluating how many cases of depression is in your area, you'd use quantitative data to define your area. You'd also use this style to count your subjects, or patients, and categorize them as having depression or not suffering from depression. You might use qualitative data to answer a question such as "what characteristics are in sufferers of generalized anxiety disorders?" This would entail more observation and asking subjective questions.

    Using Both Styles of Research

    • Utilizing qualitative researching methods has allowed researchers to delve into racy subjects such as gender, sexuality and race. Without this methodology, there are many key and valuable insights that could be lost in studies. Quantitative data, however keeps us grounded. For the best set of research both research styles are needed. In Alfred Kinsey's 1948 study of "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," he used interviews and observations for qualitative data and then tests or quizzes for quantitative data. When pulling his information together he was able to apply his findings into statistics.

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