The common goal of any researcher is to provide valuable information that will help answer questions that lead to informed decisions and success for a company. However, the way a researcher obtains that information varies. To start, the researcher (in collaboration with the business partner) will have to decide if a qualitative or quantitative research approach is the best route for the company. From there, they can then decide how to present these questions to their research participants.
Quantitative Research Questions
The core of Quantitative research is to focus on statistical analysis and have very definitive answers from a data set. The common approaches to collecting quantitative research are based on surveys and questionnaires, data collection from large populations, or running certain tests. Without realizing it, you have probably been a participant in quantitative research. In marketing, this is seen anytime you’re asked to rate a product or service from 1-5 stars. This is also seen when reviewing the metrics from a campaign: which ad consumers clicked to most, a noticed peak in sales in a given month etc. With this said, the types of questions are very black and white, yes/no, multiple choice, or numerical. They don’t allow room for explanation or the why behind the consumer’s responses.
Qualitative Research Questions
On the other hand, Qualitative research considers information at an emotional level – it is driven by dialogue and uncovers the meaning of why people may feel how they do. This type of research is more subjective, making the insights more directional for the client rather than clear-cut data. Qualitative research can be conducted through in-depth interviews, social observational, traditional focus groups, and sometimes ethnography. The best questions for qualitative researchers should be open-ended, focused on the consumer, conversational, and considering the why. It’s also important to build rapport in qualitative research, so asking personal questions like “Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? “What do you remember most about technology growing up?” “What is your experience with this product and why” is extremely important to get the full picture of the interviewee’s attitudes and responses. This type of research is often used for exploratory research, or when discussing sensitive topics. In my professional career, this is used frequently for the Cancer patients we treat in order to be more empathetic and get deeper insights.