Challenging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide

Download or read book Challenging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide written by Barry Cooper and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-03-08 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book challenges the divide between qualitative and quantitative approaches that is now institutionalized within social science. Rather than suggesting the 'mixing' of methods, Challenging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide provides a thorough interrogation of the arguments and practices characteristic of both sides of the divide, focusing on how well they address the common problems that all social research faces, particularly as regards causal analysis. The authors identify some fundamental weaknesses in both quantitative and qualitative approaches, and explore whether case-focused analysis - for instance, in the form of Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Analytic Induction, Grounded Theorising, or Cluster Analysis - can bridge the gap between the two sides.