There are many ways to conduct research. One of the basic definitions of research is based on what kind of data you collect in your study.

When conducting qualitative research, the researcher collects data consisting mostly of words, pictures, observations of events, etc. These may eventually be categorized in some way, and possibly quantified. This type of research is very popular with the social sciences (anthropology, psychology, sociology, etc.), and form the basis for Health Education research. It offers a lot of freedom in terms of what to study. However, analyzing such data can be very time consuming, and may be influenced by researcher bias.

Researchers who collect numeric data are conducting what is called quantitative research. This type of research is the preferred method of scientists working in the physical sciences (biology, chemistry, etc.). Most of the more scholarly research studies published are quantitative research.

In recent years, there has been greater acceptance of qualitative research, and good studies incorporate both methods. Qualitative research is more in keeping with the spirit of the pursuit of truth, but traditional Science prefers quantitative research. This could be because mathematics is an “international language” that scientists, regardless of the language they speak, can communicate and understand each other in. Qualitative research’s dependence on written language, which is affected by Culture, is limited in its application across cultures. Epidemiology, as outgrowth of the physical sciences, still conduct much of its studies as quantitative research.