One: The Inductive approach in qualitative research starts by gathering data tha

One: The Inductive approach in qualitative research starts by gathering data that is material to the research topic. A deductive design evaluates previous studies and theories to test their research problem. Both research designs are used in qualitative research, which explores and define persons or groups of people to analyze a problem in humankind (Creswell,2017). The two research designs may be used individually or concurrently. The inductive and deductive approach has an identified problem that requires data collection to answer the research question. However, an inductive theory design develops a new theory, while a deductive design uses a pre-existing theory (Streefkerk,2023). The inductive design uses a specific point and expands on the topic, and in a deductive research design, researchers aim to expand on a broad theory with a specific topic. According to Creswell (2017), a best practice for a deductive design is introducing the theory early in the study after stating the hypothesis and problem statement.
When a researcher develops a hypothesis, there may be prior information from pre-existing research or a small amount of information on the specified topic. If there is a small amount of information, researchers may use an inductive design to expand on their research problem. The issue with inductive research is that it cannot be proven because there is no proven theory (Streefkerk,2023). Researchers using a deductive design can form a hypothesis based on the existing theory and end in an inductive research design according to the findings. Moreover, both research designs are used in qualitative studies and are both used to prove the truth.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design. qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (Fifth). SAGE Publications.
Streefkerk, R. (2023, January 03). Inductive vs. Deductive Research Approach | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/inductive-dedu…
two: Research is conducted through methodologies consisting of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. According to Creswell et al. (2023), “qualitative research is an approach for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem” (p. 4). This methodology focuses on words as opposed to quantitative which coincides with numbers. Qualitative research can be beneficial to future studies because it explores human behaviors directly through open-ended questions that in time can develop into new theories. Therefore, qualitative research is framed through exploration and the inclusion of curiosity and unanswered questions to reach new discoveries. This particular discussion will focus on the importance of the inductive approach in qualitative research and how it differs from the deductive approach in quantitative research.
As mentioned, qualitative methods in research are used to ultimately form new theories. The inductive approach is important to qualitative research because it involves beginning with ideas and questions and developing support through case studies that can potentially result in new ideas. According to Eriksson et al. (2016), “inductive research often requires qualitative research methods, such as case studies and ethnography, that allow answering “how” and “why” questions and detecting organizational processes over time” (p. 42). A researcher using an inductive approach will gather information through interviews, then analyze the information to generalize which, in turn, can create new theories (Creswell et al. 2023). Further, the inductive approach and the use of qualitative research methods are fundamental to the advancement of knowledge.
The deductive approach used in quantitative research differs from the inductive approach in that it begins with a theory (or a broad generalization) and conducts tests involving hypotheses to revise that theory. Essentially, deductive attempts to reduce everything to its essential element. Therefore, inductive begins with nothing, and deductive “entails moving from the general to the particular” (Woiceshyn et al., 2013, p. 185). Both approaches can be effective depending on the researcher and the objective.
References
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage.
Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen, A. (2016), Qualitative methods in business research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Woiceshyn, J., & Daellenbach, U. (2018). Evaluating inductive vs Deductive Research in Management Studies. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 13(2), 183–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/qrom-06-2017-1538