0:00:00.000,0:00:05.010


0:00:05.010,0:00:06.450
Good afternoon.

0:00:06.450,0:00:10.590
This is Albert Einstein here[br]at the Louvre Museum in Paris

0:00:10.590,0:00:13.620
with queen Elizabeth[br]II of Great Britain.

0:00:13.620,0:00:14.850
Good afternoon.

0:00:14.850,0:00:17.370
It is a pleasure I am sure.

0:00:17.370,0:00:20.670
Our purpose here today is[br]to compare and contrast

0:00:20.670,0:00:23.970
qualitative versus[br]quantitative research.

0:00:23.970,0:00:27.900
As a leader and reader[br]of people for 60 years,

0:00:27.900,0:00:30.810
we will speak for[br]the qualitative side.

0:00:30.810,0:00:33.780
And as the ultimate[br]scientist and rationalist,

0:00:33.780,0:00:36.720
I will be the quintessential[br]quantitativitist

0:00:36.720,0:00:38.550
if that's even a word.

0:00:38.550,0:00:41.700
As a gentleman, I will[br]allow Queen Elizabeth

0:00:41.700,0:00:43.200
to start the debate.

0:00:43.200,0:00:45.360
Thank you, Professor Einstein.

0:00:45.360,0:00:47.760
And thank you for[br]letting us choose

0:00:47.760,0:00:52.260
the location for our discussion[br]surrounded by works of art

0:00:52.260,0:00:55.830
in this wonderful museum[br]in the heart of Paris.

0:00:55.830,0:01:00.060
This setting illustrates two[br]of the fundamental features

0:01:00.060,0:01:04.870
of qualitative research, first,[br]that the research involves

0:01:04.870,0:01:08.860
looking at qualities that[br]cannot be easily quantified

0:01:08.860,0:01:12.430
and, second, that the researcher[br]herself becomes immersed

0:01:12.430,0:01:14.980
in the situation being studied.

0:01:14.980,0:01:17.560
Your majesty, that is[br]certainly different

0:01:17.560,0:01:19.660
from my quantitative approach.

0:01:19.660,0:01:23.290
I like my variables to be[br]measurable in some commonly

0:01:23.290,0:01:24.520
accepted fashion.

0:01:24.520,0:01:26.980
And the quantitative[br]methodology stresses

0:01:26.980,0:01:30.280
that the observer should be[br]dispassionate, objective,

0:01:30.280,0:01:31.420
and neutral.

0:01:31.420,0:01:33.610
A quantitative[br]researcher strives

0:01:33.610,0:01:36.880
not to allow himself to[br]influence or be influenced

0:01:36.880,0:01:38.980
by whatever he is researching.

0:01:38.980,0:01:42.160
You see, your grace, in[br]quantitative research,

0:01:42.160,0:01:45.100
we clearly set out our[br]premises and hypotheses

0:01:45.100,0:01:48.460
before we start and determine[br]exactly what measurements we

0:01:48.460,0:01:51.070
will make and exactly[br]how we will make them.

0:01:51.070,0:01:54.580
Oh my, Albert, you[br]quantitative researchers

0:01:54.580,0:01:57.820
are so decisive and[br]sure of yourselves.

0:01:57.820,0:02:02.110
In qualitative research, one[br]does not assume nearly so much

0:02:02.110,0:02:03.910
before one starts.

0:02:03.910,0:02:07.210
One certainly has a[br]plan for gathering data,

0:02:07.210,0:02:10.600
but one is free to make[br]personal observations

0:02:10.600,0:02:12.310
and interpretations.

0:02:12.310,0:02:16.930
And study participants are asked[br]about their experience, not

0:02:16.930,0:02:19.510
simply poked and[br]prodded and measured

0:02:19.510,0:02:24.130
with standardized and calibrated[br]scientific instruments.

0:02:24.130,0:02:26.950
One then uses[br]inductive reasoning

0:02:26.950,0:02:30.640
to look for themes and[br]patterns in one's observations

0:02:30.640,0:02:33.070
relevant to the[br]research problem.

0:02:33.070,0:02:36.850
Only after identifying[br]such themes and patterns

0:02:36.850,0:02:40.840
does one begin using[br]deductive tools and reasoning

0:02:40.840,0:02:42.940
to further analyze the data.

0:02:42.940,0:02:45.880
Pardon me, Elizabeth,[br]but that is absurd.

0:02:45.880,0:02:49.180
With all due respect,[br]quantitative research

0:02:49.180,0:02:51.730
involves using[br]inductive reasoning only

0:02:51.730,0:02:54.910
before the start of the[br]project to formulate theories

0:02:54.910,0:02:57.040
and postulate hypotheses.

0:02:57.040,0:03:00.640
Once the research starts,[br]it is all about gathering

0:03:00.640,0:03:04.600
predetermined data and using[br]deductive reasoning and logic

0:03:04.600,0:03:08.080
to support or refute the[br]hypothesis under scrutiny.

0:03:08.080,0:03:12.220
Your qualitative approach[br]sounds like a recipe for chaos.

0:03:12.220,0:03:15.550
I thought you were a[br]monarchist, not an anarchist.

0:03:15.550,0:03:19.840
Relax, Al, and try not to[br]get your knickers in a twist.

0:03:19.840,0:03:24.250
Qualitative research may seem a[br]wee bit uncontrolled and loosey

0:03:24.250,0:03:25.450
goosey to you.

0:03:25.450,0:03:28.630
But you must admit that[br]quantitative research can

0:03:28.630,0:03:31.240
sometimes feel[br]like being strapped

0:03:31.240,0:03:34.180
in a straitjacket[br]locked in a rubber room.

0:03:34.180,0:03:37.750
Not that one would know[br]what that feels like,

0:03:37.750,0:03:40.060
but you get one's point.

0:03:40.060,0:03:42.970
Reality is[br]complicated and messy,

0:03:42.970,0:03:47.020
and research methodology needs[br]to take that into account.

0:03:47.020,0:03:50.200
Liz, baby, you make[br]some very strong points.

0:03:50.200,0:03:53.560
You've got a good head on your[br]shoulders under that crown.

0:03:53.560,0:03:56.350
I propose that we[br]meet halfway and agree

0:03:56.350,0:03:59.410
that there is a role for both[br]quantitative and qualitative

0:03:59.410,0:04:03.520
research methodologies,[br]perhaps even in the same study.

0:04:03.520,0:04:07.180
By synergistically combining[br]both approaches in a mixed

0:04:07.180,0:04:10.780
method design, the results[br]of the whole research project

0:04:10.780,0:04:14.140
might very well be greater[br]than the sum of its parts.

0:04:14.140,0:04:15.640
Shall we dance?

0:04:15.640,0:04:18.295
Oh, Al, one thought[br]you would never ask.

0:04:18.295,0:04:21.870


0:04:21.870,0:04:25.890
Say Al, do you think one is[br]ready for the follies best

0:04:25.890,0:04:27.440
share?

0:04:27.440,0:04:36.000