ABSTRACT
Although all scientific inquiry into human phenomena is conducted to gain a better understanding of human nature in a systematic way, the goals of various approaches and methodologies are often quite different (Parse, 2001). Historically there has always been a great deal of debate concerning the application and value of quantitative versus qualitative methodologies, particularly in the social sciences (see Sil, 2000, for an excellent summary of this heated debate). Quantitative strategies generally have been given more respect in the social science fields as well as by the general public (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998; Berg, 1989), most probably because it is easier to justify a conclusion based on numerical analysis as opposed to "feelings" or "perceptions." Thus, social scientists have a propensity to rely solely on numeric descriptions of phenomena under study rather than on data generated from ethnographic and field research.
