Research Design
Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches are the most common methods of social sciences studies for data collection and analysis (Velez, 2008). Mackenzie & Knipe (2006); McMillan & Schumacher (2006:12) argue that ‘quantitative and qualitative can be understood as two distinguished terms, which are:
1. As a research paradigm: they explain the aim of a research and how a researcher can understand the world.
2. As methods adopted to collect and analyse data.
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For Salomon (1991) qualitative inquiry is implemented to deal with complex and dynamic environments. Further Denzin & Lincoln (1998); Gall et al. (2003) point out that it seeks to examine human actions and behaviours in natural settings. Sechrest & Sidani (1995) hold the view that understanding the research context is important in qualitative research to attain a generalizable data.
At the ontological level, qualitative perspective contends that there are multiple truths or realities which exist based on several researchers’ thinking of what is true for a particular social context (Pring, 2000; and Sale et al., 2002). However, in the epistemological level, the researcher is an instrument of data collection and extensively integrated with the researched area (Miles and Huberman,