Empiricism: A Unifying Principle of both Quantitative & Qualitative Research

Methods

GISA218March 10, 2014

Questions for Week 2

The authors of Designing Social Inquiry claim that “the logic of good quantitative and good qualitative research designs does not fundamentally differ.” What are the grounds of such argument? What is that logic? Do you agree? If the logic is not that different as authors claim, when do we have to use qualitative method as opposed to quantitative method and also vice versa? Which method would you use in your research?

2008 U.S. Presidential elections

Republican Primaries (source: nydailynews)

2008 U.S. Presidential elections

Democratic Primaries (source: politico.com)

2008 U.S. Presidential elections

John McCain and Barack Obama (source: dailymail.co.uk)

2008 U.S. Presidential elections• What political scientists considered to predict Obama’s win? 1. Pres. George Bush’s unpopularity and low approval

ratings Assumption – voters are rational 2. 2007-2008 global financial crisis Assumption – voters elect democratic president to fix economy 3. High African-American voter turnouts v. Whites Assumption – ethnicity matters in elections 4. Campaign money – Obama ($760 M) v. McCain ($350 M) Assumption – whoever spends most usually wins

2008 U.S. Presidential election Outcome

Electoral votes – Obama (365) v. McCain (173)

Popular votes – Obama received 9 million more votes than McCain

Source: theguardian.com

Social Science Research

• “The logic of good quantitative and good qualitative research designs does not fundamentally differ” and that “the differences are mainly ones of style and specific technique” (KKV).

• Science – Observation Puzzle or question Hypothesis

Tests Theory

• Logic - Application of ‘systematic and empirical’ (scientific) approach or method in studying complex society

Social Science Research

• Both quantitative and qualitative research methods share common approach and purpose

- Scientific approach - Simplification - Generalization

- Goal - To better communicate with and explain to others what can be otherwise complex phenomena or concepts

- “Science at its best is a social enterprise” (KKV)

Quantitative Method

• Numerical and statistical significance

• Large-N comparative analysis

• Opinion surveys

• Causal, rather than descriptive inferences

Qualitative Method

• Non-numerical interpretation

• More in-depth Case studies

• Small-N comparative studies

• Field research, Interviews

• Wide-ranging and descriptive inferences

• Good for observing trends in society

Research Topic & Questions

• Topic – International Human Trafficking in South Asia

- A relatively new topic in int’l studies - Limited data and methods - More reliance on qualitative research

designs - Field research

Research Topic & Questions

• Why do some regions in India perform better at preventing int’l human trafficking violations while others fail to do so?

• Why do certain socio-economic conditions, such as low educational level, lack of social capital, and high poverty rate, lead to an increase in human trafficking violations in certain regions but not in others?

• What are some of the overarching socio-economic and socio-political characteristics of the victims and of the perpetrators?