Quantitative and qualitative social science: Toward a multilateral conceptualization for normative use
(2006)Theoretical Philosophy
- Abstract
- The philosophy of social science is today, from the perspective of the scientists themselves, dominated by the notions of quantitative and qualitative research. Social scientists make distinctions between a wide range of different aspects of research in terms of what is quantitative and qualitative. The purpose of this paper is to integrate these distinctions into a useful conceptualization. First, I set up criteria for usefulness. Second, I show that one overarching distinction between quantitative and qualitative research, that is, a unilateral conceptualization, is insufficient for optimizing usefulness. Third, I suggest a multilateral conceptualization with three overarching distinctions between (1) interpretive versus non-interpretive... (More)
- The philosophy of social science is today, from the perspective of the scientists themselves, dominated by the notions of quantitative and qualitative research. Social scientists make distinctions between a wide range of different aspects of research in terms of what is quantitative and qualitative. The purpose of this paper is to integrate these distinctions into a useful conceptualization. First, I set up criteria for usefulness. Second, I show that one overarching distinction between quantitative and qualitative research, that is, a unilateral conceptualization, is insufficient for optimizing usefulness. Third, I suggest a multilateral conceptualization with three overarching distinctions between (1) interpretive versus non-interpretive research, (2) fixing versus developing the assumptions that are operative in interpretation, and (3) elements of quantity versus quality. Finally, I use this conceptualization to define the terms ?quantitative? and ?qualitative?, with a demarcation based on differing strategies for achieving interpretability. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1322085
- author
- Nilsson, Artur
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2006
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Kvalitativ analys, Kvantitativ analy, Kuhn, Thomas, Systematic philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, ideology, Systematisk filosofi, etik, estetik, metafysik, kunskapsteori, ideologi
- language
- English
- id
- 1322085
- date added to LUP
- 2007-02-01 00:00:00
- date last changed
- 2007-02-01 00:00:00
@misc{1322085,
abstract = {{The philosophy of social science is today, from the perspective of the scientists themselves, dominated by the notions of quantitative and qualitative research. Social scientists make distinctions between a wide range of different aspects of research in terms of what is quantitative and qualitative. The purpose of this paper is to integrate these distinctions into a useful conceptualization. First, I set up criteria for usefulness. Second, I show that one overarching distinction between quantitative and qualitative research, that is, a unilateral conceptualization, is insufficient for optimizing usefulness. Third, I suggest a multilateral conceptualization with three overarching distinctions between (1) interpretive versus non-interpretive research, (2) fixing versus developing the assumptions that are operative in interpretation, and (3) elements of quantity versus quality. Finally, I use this conceptualization to define the terms ?quantitative? and ?qualitative?, with a demarcation based on differing strategies for achieving interpretability.}},
author = {{Nilsson, Artur}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Quantitative and qualitative social science: Toward a multilateral conceptualization for normative use}},
year = {{2006}},
}