Qualitative vs.

Quantitative
Data Analysis
DRP Surveys

What is QUALitative Data?

Data collected from research in one
of two ways.
1. Through interviews with openended responses
2. Through surveys with selected
responses

What is QUANtitative Data?

Data collected in only one way.
Through open-ended numerical
responses.

How do you analyze QUALitative

data?
If the data is collected though
interviews, you will read through the
responses and pull out the main
themes observed. You will use those
themes to draw your conclusions.
If the data is collected through a
selected-response survey, you will
assign a value to each response and
then calculate the mean, median,
mode, and range of the data.

How do you analyze QUANtitative

data?
The data is collected through openended numerical responses, so you
will use the real numerical responses
to calculate the mean, median,
mode, and range of the data.

Why mean, median, mode, and

range?
No matter which type of data you
collect, if you are calculating the
mean, median, mode and range of
the data, you will need to interpret
what they all mean in relation to your
research question.

QUALitative Example 1
I have collected my data through one-onone interviews using these questions:
1. What is the connection between your
homework grades and the hours of sleep you
get each night?
2. If the number of hours of homework were
limited each night for middle school students,
what effect would that have on your grades?
3. If the number of hours of homework were
limited each night for middle school students,
what effect would that have on the amount of
sleep you get each night?

QUALitative Example 1,
continued
Because I am a 6th grader, I would
ask 15 people those same questions
and I would read their responses. It is
very important that the questions
require more than a yes or no
response.
Using the responses I receive to the
questions, I will pull out the recurring
themes and ideas and use those to
draw my conclusions.

QUALitative Example 2
I have collected my data through these
questions with these limited responses:
1. Do you believe there is a correlation between
hours of sleep and homework grades for middle
school students?
Strong correlation Weak correlation

No correlation

2. How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

0 5 5 6 6 7 7+
3. What grades do you usually make on
homework?
0 50 50 60 60 70 70+

QUALitative Example 2,
continued
I would assign a value to each response like
this:
1. Do you believe there is a correlation between
hours of sleep and homework grades for middle
school students?
Strong correlation (3) Weak correlation (2) No correlation
(1)

2. How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

0 5 (1) 5 6 (2) 6 7 (3) 7+ (4)
3. What grades do you usually make on homework?
0 50 (1) 50 60 (2) 60 70 (3) 70+ (4)

QUALitative Example 2,
continued
Once Ive given the survey to at least 15 people, I
calculate the mean, median, mode, and range for
each question and then interpret what that means
for my research.
Ex: For question 1 of this survey, there was a mean
response of 2.5, which means that on average, the
people I surveyed believe that there is a definite
correlation between hours of sleep and homework
grades. The range in the responses will most likely
be 2 (3-1), so the range is not necessarily a helpful
statistic in this research.

QUANtitative Example
I have collected my data using the
following research questions with
open-ended numerical responses:
1. How many hours of sleep do you get
each night?
2. How many hours of homework do you
have most nights?
3. What grade do you usually make on
your homework assingments?

QUANtitative Example,
continued
With these questions, participants are allowed to
write down whatever numerical response they
want.
Therefore, my data is going to be more varied than
in the last example.
I can use the data for each question to calculate
the mean, median, mode and range and can
interpret the relationship between the two in a
perhaps more accurate way.
It may also be necessary for me to create a graph
of my data showing the results of my survey.

QUANtitative Example,
continued
Homework Grades Compared to Hours of Sleep Each Night
120
100
80
Homework Grades

60
40
20
0

10

12

Choose a Method and Design a

Survey

You now have some time in class to choose a

research method and design a survey that
will aide in the proof of your claim.
When you submit your RESEARCH data and
analysis on January 27, you will need to use
the CBD model taught in science class.
Please see Mrs. Glowacki for assistance with
this.
CLAIM:
EVIDENCE:
REASONING: