counting or interpreting

qualitative

small sample size

in depth

quantitative

large sample size

general patterns

unit of analysis

what are we deriving conclusions about?

benefits of qualitative methods

high conceptual validity

generating new hypotheses

examining causal mechanisms

benefits of quantitative methods

generalisable to other cases

control for alternative explanation

easier to asses level of uncertainty

transparent and replicable

deduction

specific expectations of hypotheses are developed on the basis of general principles

we have theoretical expectations, and we collect new data to test if the theory holds

theory → predictions → experiment

induction

the logical model in which general principles are developed from specific observations

we have data in hand, and we try to identity some patterns in this data or come up with hypotheses

observation → generalisations → theory