This section describes the research methodology: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Examples of empirical articles for the studies are shown. Mixed methods use both quantitative and qualitative research.
An empirical study is based on "observation, investigation, or experiment rather than on abstract reasoning, theoretical analysis, or speculation."* Empirical studies should be divided into the following parts: abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, and references. Typically these studies also include tables, figures, and charts to display collected data.
An example of APA-cited quantitative and qualitative journal articles are given below. Note that you should include the doi (digital object identifier) if it is available rather than the URL from a database search. The format is this: Last name, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL.
Convertino, C. M., Marschark, M., Sapere, P., Sarchet, T., & Zupan, M. (2009). Predicting academic success among deaf college students. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 14(3), 324-343. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enp005
Foster, S., & Kinuthia, W. (2003). Deaf persons of Asian American, Hispanic American, and African American backgrounds: A study of intraindividual diversity and identity. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 8(3), 271-280. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/eng015
| Quantitative | Qualitative |
| Focuses on testing hypotheses and theories | Focuses on exploring ideas and formulating a theory or hypothesis |
| Analyzed through math and statistical analysis | Analyzed by summarizing, categorizing, and interpreting |
| Mainly expressed in numbers, graphs, and tables | Mainly expressed in words |
| Requires many respondents | Requires few respondents |
| Closed (multiple choice) questions | Open-ended questions |
| Key terms: testing, measurement, objectivity, replicability | Key terms: understanding, context, complexity, subjectivity |
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