A tale of two cultures: contrasting quantitative and qualitative research. Political Analysis 14(3)

The quantitative and qualitative research traditions can be thought of as distinct cultures
marked by different values, beliefs, and norms. In this essay, we adopt this metaphor toward
the end of contrasting these research traditions across 10 areas: (1) approaches to explanation,
(2) conceptions of causation, (3) multivariate explanations, (4) equifinality, (5) scope
and causal generalization, (6) case selection, (7) weighting observations, (8) substantively
important cases, (9) lack of fit, and (10) concepts and measurement. We suggest that an
appreciation of the alternative assumptions and goals of the traditions can help scholars
avoid misunderstandings and contribute to more productive ‘‘cross-cultural’’ communication
in political science.