The Transformative Potency Of Qualitative Phenomenological...

The Transformative Potency of Qualitative Phenomenological Research Methods Ashani Benjamin Sociology Prof. Daniela Melo Medina December 15, 2014 The Transformative Potency of Qualitative Phenomenological Research Methods Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies utilize questions with the objective of investigating and answering posed research questions through an evaluation-based method (Dobrovolny Fuentes, 2008). This structured process enables a researcher to develop a systematic approach to facilitate the harvesting, evaluation and presentation of data (Dobrovolny Fuentes, 2008). Even though both quantitative and qualitative research methods possess many of the same characteristics, the inherent differences of each method provides the researcher with a level of flexibility that enables them to determine the best approach for answering the questions they endeavor to explore. Quantitative approaches make use of questionnaires and surveys with predetermined response categorizations to accumulate numerical results to logically analyze scientific knowledge through empirical experience and logical rational (Mousta kas, 1994). Arghode (2012) further argues that quantitative methodologies are those that quantify the participant’s responses to prove or disprove a given hypothesis. In contrast, qualitative methodologies are geared toward gaining an understanding of a phenomenon through the member’s personal experiences in a field of human