Broadly, from the perspective of ‘mode of enquiry’, there are three approaches that are
used in social research to find answers to your research questions. These are:
•• the quantitative or structured approach;
•• the qualitative or unstructured approach; and
•• the mixed methods approach.
The core difference between the three is the extent of flexibility permitted to you as a
researcher in the research process. In the quantitative or structured approach of enquiry
everything that forms the research process – objectives, design, sample, the questions
that you plan to ask of your respondents – is predetermined. The unstructured or
qualitative approach, by contrast, allows you as a researcher complete flexibility in all
these aspects of the process. The mixed methods approach has attributes from both the
other approaches, that is, some aspects of the research process may have flexibility and
others may completely lack it, depending upon the paradigm to which they belong.
The quantitative approach is rooted in the philosophy of rationalism; follows a rigid,
structured and predetermined set of procedures to explore; aims to quantify the extent of
variation in a phenomenon; emphasises the measurement of variables and the objectivity
of the process; believes in substantiation on the basis of a large sample size; gives importance
to the validity and reliability of findings; and communicates findings in an analytical
and aggregate manner, drawing conclusions and inferences that can be generalised.
The qualitative approach, on the other hand, is embedded in the philosophy of
empiricism; follows an open, flexible and unstructured approach to enquiry; aims to
explore diversity rather than to quantify; emphasises the description and narration of
feelings, perceptions and experiences rather than their measurement; and communicates
findings in a descriptive and narrative rather than analytical manner, placing no or less
emphasis on generalisations.
The mixed methods approach uses the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative
research. It aims to select the best methods, regardless of the qualitative–quantitative
divide, to find answers to the research questions. In extremely simple terms, the mixed
methods approach to social research combines two or more methods to collect and
analyse data pertaining to the research problem. These methods could be either a mix