The purpose of this essay of theoretical contextualization with a view to contrasting it with the events in praxis, directs its efforts to make an interpretative, introspective and critical distinction on quantitative and qualitative research, in a scenario of constant transformations fundamentally originated by the advances that The knowledge and information society have promoted since the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the new millennium, it is about establishing some comparisons of both research paradigms, to generate knowledge from there, without the intention of being hostile in the positions and appraisals, but adapted to current society and new times,thus surpassing the qualifiers that in a historical moment forged such topics and that served as instruments to promote solutions that achieve transcendental changes.
Contextualization of Science, the Quantitative and Qualitative Approach
Before addressing the qualitative and quantitative perspectives of research, let us reflect on the science, described by Palella and Martins (2010), that which "etymologically derives from the Latin word scientia… means practical knowledge or doctrine." (p23); Like this modest scientific apprentice from some South American region, he conceptualizes it as the agent of change through an infinite search for explanations about the behavior of biological, physical, chemical, geological, psychological and
sociological that involve the human race and its environment to discover the truth. To outline the term theoretically, in a structured interview on science, the Mexican researcher Carlos Gershenson (2013) referred that “science tries to understand the world, it has developed methods to try to distinguish between different possible explanations, we could say that it deals with to search for truths ”.
So, it is essential to locate a mechanism to explain phenomena that occur in an increasingly volatile world, which is always surprising us with its overwhelming natural events and even those of social nature that living beings experience in an environment where everyone coexists.
Beyond the enormous advances that we have achieved as humanity for many centuries, each era has its complexities that make those of us who live it use the benefits of science and the scientific method to attend to the complicated scenarios that each time brings with it according to evolution of the earth, of man and his habitat per se; We are facing majestic events that, if this humble doctoral student could choose in which time to live, surely he would be passionate without hesitation since the beginning of the 20th century, to have had the pleasure of being part of what they lived in the old continent in the Spain of Generalissimo Francisco Franco (1936-1975), in the Italy of Benito Mussolini (1922-1943), in the imposing Soviet Union of Stalin (1941-1953) and in the convulsed and irrational German Nazism of Adolf Hitler (1933-1945),With science and method he would surely have written countless articles, texts that would exemplify and show the world his most ironclad, irrational and complex events.
But although science and history had the pleasure of placing me between the end of the 20th century to assess the advances of the 21st century, the age has its own facts and we are called through science and its methods to give answers to what humanity demands. I start from the idea that there should be more scientific and philosophical movements like the Vienna Circle across the globe, despite having lasted only 14 years at the dawn of the 20th century; since the study of science resides in the attempt of the human race to understand the situations that occur in the environment; to describe them, analyze them and give a probable conclusion that sustains the bases to induce and promote knowledge since it is inexhaustible, inexhaustible and infinite.
Therefore, millennia, centuries, decades, years, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds will pass and man is constantly developing his capacities, abilities and intellectual skills to introduce new ideas.
Now, the existence of quantitative and qualitative investigations facilitate the mechanisms to understand, know and analyze opinions, according to the nature of the problem to be addressed, within the framework of various epistemological approaches; science has its instruments to achieve its ends, there the scientific method enters, which constitutes the procedure par excellence for researchers to achieve and materialize their studies, as conceived by the Vienna Circle and the so-called Inherited Conception that is he directed "to characterize by his emphasis on the rigor of the analysis and by the fidelity to the program outlined in the famous theses". That is to say, contribute to the understanding of realities from authentic thoughts founded from its genesis.
It is appropriate to review the various epistemological trends in their historical setting for the analysis, investigation and deepening of events of a natural or social nature, to understand internally the complexities of the human race and externally its relationship with the environment that surrounds it; There I share positions with Padrón (2007) when referring to “… organizing, explaining and evaluating the multiple directions towards which the human effort to understand the phenomenon of science is oriented, from which each person could decide and make their own job selections ”. In short, its process focuses on the search for truth from the biological beginning of humanity and later on the social, cultural and religious facts that generated it.
Going into the subject, Palella and Martins (ob.cit) define quantitative research as "that according to which quantitative data on a variable are collected and analyzed". (p.19). The same authors point out that this approach is "characterized by privileging data as the substantial essence of argumentation." (p.40).
This positivist paradigm, which supports quantitative research, is an authentic prototype of science, exceeds the expectations of the individual, its particularity lies in the explanation reflection to specify, detail and relate events that happen in the social environment; promoting innovation and knowledge production, based on the analysis of social facts through verdicts, phenomena, case studies, among others, with the firm intention of contributing to the solution of specific problems that affect humanity.
In this context, the Mexican scientist Julieta Fierro (2013) expressed in a structured interview that "the only way that humanity has to survive is innovation", that is, the capacity that man has to generate knowledge is inexhaustible, it is infinite And this makes the positivist approach a strength to achieve substantial transformations; As Comte described in the mid-nineteenth century "ideas rule the world", these ideas are part of the techniques and instruments to explain observable social events that have and will remain in force throughout history.
With regard to the qualitative approach, Palella and Martins (ob.cit) state that "it focuses its attention on the relationships and roles that people play in their life context." (p.41). This epistemological pattern moves towards empiricism, based on experience, described by Padrón (ob.cit) as “the true strength of the phenomenological method is at the individual level of what it applies (breadth of experience or intelligence or both to the time). With which it shows how the individual's thinking goes beyond their ability to invent, promoting changes in the world from two spheres: in the social (new order) and the evolutionary (progress).
Indeed, the aptitude that man has to develop approaches from research is considered an exclusive piece of the mind and its tremendous way of engendering wisdom.
Similarly, science has its mechanisms to achieve its purposes, the scientific method is described by Bunge (1981) as the "set of procedures by which scientific problems are posed and scientific hypotheses are tested." (p.22). Therefore, the method represents the instrument par excellence for the researcher, it complements her intelligence and the art to generate ideas. To further expand these two basic research approaches, Hernández (2003) defines them as:
The quantitative one, which uses data collection and analysis to answer research questions and test previously established hypotheses and relies on numerical measurement, counting, and frequently the use of statistics to accurately establish patterns of behavior in a population. The qualitative is usually used first to discover and refine research questions.
Sometimes, but not necessarily, hypotheses are tested. It is often based on data collection methods without numerical measurement, such as descriptions and observations. (p.5).
The following illustrates in the praxis, the applicability of the scientific method, very particularly the educational authorities of the Bolivarian state of Miranda (Venezuelan region), in the formulation of public policies an academic program called: Comprehensive Plan for Reading and Social Literacy (PILAS), aimed at improving students' communication and language skills, to reinforce the teaching of reading in 1st grade; ensure literacy for all 3rd grade students; and ensure that all students at all levels improve their ability to express themselves in writing and understand what they read.
In this sense, after two years of executing the aforementioned program, the Regional Government measured both the quantitative and qualitative impact on the performance of the population under study, in addition to evaluating the behavior, perhaps even ignoring the scientific essence present in the study. program, but from empiricism using the benefits that the quantitative and qualitative paradigm offers to determine its scope, through the techniques and instruments of information gathering; in such a way that scientific practices are latent from minute situations such as those very complex in all branches, sectors and actors of society.
By way of constructive and sustained criticism, I differ that the epistemological study and application in university research is merely practiced in postgraduate studies; the production of knowledge must necessarily pass the qualifications of a requirement in a research seminar to materialize an achievement of academic origin; on the contrary, this innovative creation forged in our universities should be oriented to contribute in a productive way in the performance of public and private organizations within a prospective scenario with a view to the integral development of society.
Beyond the speeches loaded with splendid terminologies; In the reality of the difficulties that surround the various sectors of a nation, cooperation with the educational institutions is essential, through research and development to apply with coordination and articulation the projects that guarantee the change of the status quo on a problematic structural or conjunctural situation.
One of the epicenters of science lies in man's attempt to understand the situations that occur in the environment; with the firm purpose of documenting, understanding, describing and analyzing them, to generate knowledge, giving answers to the concerns and doubts that man has asked himself for centuries and decades.
In the following graph, a set of characteristics described by various authors and visually collected by this doctoral student is observed, in order to locate the aims of science, scientific activity and the scientific method in a timely and sequential way.
Conclusions
Both quantitative and qualitative research are relevant to meet the purposes of science and its scientific method, each of them has its attributes and benefits. However, it is the researchers par excellence who, according to their position, appreciation and perception of the reality, problem or situation that merits new ideas, adopt one of these approaches and their divergent currents, the quantitative one based on positivism and rationalism, where In the opinion of this apprentice, he feels more secure and comfortable to privilege data to achieve objectives.
However, if it is necessary to address an issue such as the migration of Venezuelan human talent that is in an exodus situation, surely I would go for the mixture of the two approaches, it would be mixed quali-quantitative, qualitative for through interpretivism and naturalism to analyze the status quo of migration as an issue on the national public agenda.
We doctoral students in management should not limit ourselves only to giving scientific speeches on science, epistemology, the scientific method and an arsenal of topics associated with transcomplexity; It is necessary to break the traditional models of doctoral programs in the country and that we be agents of change in public and private organizations, that managerial theoretical models such as doctoral theses are neuralgic elements to transform the business and industrial sectors, beyond the classroom, and the academy.
Bibliographic references
- Bunge, M. (1981). Science, its method and philosophy. Available: http://users.dcc.uchile.cl/~cgutie rr / courses / INV / bunge_ciencia.pdf. Chapter II: The Vienna Circle from the perspective of Karl Popper. Available: http://www.unav.es/gep/Capitulo IIChapa.pdf..Fierro, J. (2013). The Importance of Research. Institute of Astronomy of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch? V = TTSu9lP49yY. Gershenson, C. (2013). What is science? Structured Interview. Scientific Thinking Course. National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Available: https://www.coursera.org. Padrón, J. (2007). Epistemological Trends of Scientific Research in the XXI Century. Palella S., and Martins F. (2010). Quantitative Research Methodology. Caracas: FEDEUPEL, Yacambú University, Vice-Rectorate for Research and Postgraduate Studies (2007). Norms for the Preparation and presentation of the Special Works of Degree, Works of Degree and Doctoral Theses of the UNY. Barquisimeto.
