To follow on Sarah's comments, I'd suggest that comparing qualitative and
quantitative research requires finding both similarities and differences. I
think that both terms "sampling" and "selection" can be used for
comparisons. What is different - as Sarah pointed out - is the connotations
of the terms.
However, I think that it is worth pointing out that "variables" are not
necessarily containers for numeric data only. This list would not exist if
computers could not manipulate "string" variables. Letters and numbers are
both just symbols that can be put together to represent something.
Computers are very good symbol "manipulators." But computers are not
particularly good at interpreting symbols. Whether it is numbers or words,
it is still people who - ultimately - do the interpreting and impute a
particular significance to the information that the symbols represent. I
think that the difference between qualitative and quantitative researchers
tends to have more to do with their relative trust in measures and
mathematical representations as a mechanism for knowing things about the
world and as a means for answering particular sorts of questions. But if
you are interested in comparing cases - whether two or more - you are moving
from pure description to generalization. If you believe that you are not
dealing with the full range of cases in a "population," you are engaged in
sampling/selection based on some standard (though perhaps no standard other
than convenience).
Bill Kaghan
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