Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts: Part 1

Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts: Part 1

Homeless Population

Douglas Shafer

RES/351

November 29, 2015

Eduardo Naggiar

        This paper will explore two research articles and the two research types, looking at strengths and weaknesses, and what value there can be in using a combined approach.  The paper will also look at which research method is more appropriate for research in the business field of this student.

Qualitative Research Article

        In a qualitative article on homeless drug users spatial needs, the focus was to identify the spatial needs and also to look at how well the overnight shelters are meeting those needs.  Participants were compensated with a grocery voucher.  Interviews were audio recorded and professionally transcribed.  A qualitative software program was used for indexing the results, and the codes were “privacy, personal space, social interaction, safe and defensible spaces, institutional support, amenities and standards and spatiotemporal structures and boundaries” (Neale & Stevenson, 2013).  The article describes in the participants’ words the experiences of the spatial framework of their lives as homeless drug users.  The strength of this qualitative approach is that it looks at the needs of homeless drug users, not just whether they have needs which a quantitative study would do.  By knowing the needs, those needs can better be addressed.  The strength is also in looking at the shelters and evaluating how well they are meeting those needs.  The weakness of this type of study is that the study does not look at a quantity of needs in a population of homeless drug users that makes a case in multiple demographics, nor does it quantify the ability of shelters to meet the needs.  If this study would have used a combined approach, the research could have demonstrated the quantity of needs in a population of homeless drug users for shelter and could also have given data regarding the number and quantity of scale that a shelter is able to provide and meet the needs of homeless drug users.

Quantitative Research Article

        In the quantitative article on the cognitive and neuropsychological performance of homeless adults, the focus was on memory and intelligence and whether there is evidence of change in cognitive function in homeless individuals.  The quantitative study looked at “long-standing memory and intelligence, current memory and intelligence function, mental health screening and substance misuse” (Pluch, Lee, David, Spence, Parks, 2012).  The article describes the performance of homeless adults in the area of memory and cognition.  The study used standardized tests.  The test took approximately two and a half hours.  Participants were paid a participation fee.  The strength of this type of study is that the evidence of change in cognitive function and memory in homeless individuals provides information to those working with homeless population in order to better meet their needs.  It also shows evidence that homelessness affects the memory and cognitive ability of persons, which is evidence that is needed in order to bring awareness to this social concern.  The weakness of quantitative research in this study is that it limits the data to only the frequency of occurrence and does not look at why or how the cognitive and memory change occurs due to homelessness.  If this study would have used a combined approach, the research could have demonstrated the why and how of the memory and IQ changes occurring due to homelessness.