When it comes to research, there are high standards. But, there are several types of scientific research, which can be differentiated as qualitative or quantitative. The two have different quality criteria. Read on to learn what these are. Show
Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative ResearchBefore we get into the different types of quality criteria, let’s identify the difference between qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is a type of research method that collects non-numerical data, e.g. open-ended questions, unstructured interviews or observations. Quantitative research is the opposite. Quantitative research is a type of research method that collects numerical data, e.g. experiments, close-ended questions or structured interviews. Quality Criteria in Qualitative ResearchData and reports must meet these requirements to be considered quality scientific research. There are several types of quality criteria for qualitative and quantitative research. Research quality criteria are requirements for research that psychologists have agreed on and recommended. The purpose of using research quality criteria for qualitative research is to determine if it is credible and trustworthy based on the following criteria:
Summary of Quality Criteria Examples in Qualitative ResearchThe following table summarises the methods researchers can use to meet the requirements of the research quality criterion for qualitative research:
Research Quality Criteria for Quantitative ResearchThe purpose of using quality criteria for quantitative research is to determine if it is credible and trustworthy. The following criteria should apply to the study:
Quality Criteria: Assessing ReliabilityResearchers can assess their study’s reliability using test-retest and inter-observer reliability. Test-retest reliability tests whether the results of a study are consistent over time. The process involves employing the same measure/test on the same participant but over two different time points. If the correlation between the two results is high, this is a good reliability indicator. Let us say you administer a personality test to a group of participants. A month later, you again give the same group of participants the personality test. If the personality scores this time are drastically different from those of the first test, the test does not have good test-retest reliability. Researchers can improve the test-retest reliability by:
Inter-observer reliability measures are used to determine the internal reliability of a study. It refers to the extent to which different researchers (observers) agree and give the same ratings for a phenomenon. In Bandura’s Bobo doll study, researchers measured the inter-observer reliability by determining whether observers agreed with how many acts of aggression the children exhibited. In a study, if one observer gives many ratings, but another gives few, then inter-observer reliability is low. Researchers can improve observer reliability by:
Quality Criteria: Assessing ValidityValidity can be assessed in several ways: face validity, concurrent validity, ecological validity, and temporal validity. Face validity is the weakest criterion based on people’s assumptions about their behaviour. It assesses whether a test measures what it claims at first glance. For a test measuring depression, you would expect it to ask questions about low mood and motivation. If you review a test to measure depression and it contains these types of questions, then it appears to have good face validity. If you compare the results of one test to the results of an existing test to see if they give similar results, you are testing concurrent validity. Participants must take the tests at approximately the same time to reflect their current state. A well-known measurement of aggression is Buss-Perry’s aggression questionnaire (1992). Suppose you have developed a new questionnaire on aggression and tested its concurrent validity. You could ask participants to complete both questionnaires in one sitting and then compare your participants’ results with your questionnaire with the results they obtained with the Buss-Perry aggression questionnaire. If the results are similar, there is concordant validity. A study may work well in a laboratory, but the results are not as good when transferred to the outside world. We can improve ecological validity by conducting studies in natural settings. Ecological validity is the extent to which study results can be applied to real-life situations. If a study stands the test of time, it has high temporal validity. Temporal validitymeasures whether the study results are generalisable or applicable over time. Asch’s (1951) study on conformity does not have good temporal validity because it has been criticised for reflecting the American conformist culture of the 1950s. Summary of Quality Criteria Examples in Quantitative ResearchThe following table summarises the methods that researchers can use to meet the requirements of the quality criteria for quantitative research:
Common Scientific Standards: Empirical ResearchEmpirical data should allow valid, reliable, and objective conclusions to be drawn. Empirical research is research based on direct observations rather than subjective opinions, data, and analysis techniques. This research method can provide qualitative or quantitative data. There is an ongoing debate among psychologists about whether empirical research is the right approach to conducting research. The main characteristics of empirical research are:
The following table describes the main features of empirical research and their relationship to quantitative quality criteria:
Quality Criteria - Key takeaways
What is quality criteria in qualitative research?The quality criteria for all qualitative research are credibility, transferability, dependability, and. confirmability. In addition, reflexivity is an integral part of ensuring the transparency and quality of qualitative research.
What criteria will you use to determine the quality of the quantitative research?Four quality criteria, credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformity, were used to maintain the trustworthiness and authenticity of the data and analysis (Frambach et al. 2013) .
How is the quality of qualitative research judged?Some questions about quality that might be asked of a qualitative study. Worth or relevance—Was this piece of work worth doing at all? Has it contributed usefully to knowledge? Clarity of research question—If not at the outset of the study, by the end of the research process was the research question clear?
What are the criteria for selecting participants in qualitative research?Selecting Participants
Decisions regarding selection are based on the research questions, theoretical perspectives, and evidence informing the study.
|