Microsoft Word doctoral thesis final[1]. doc

4.2     RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY – A THEORETICAL 
 BASIS 
 
There are two major types of research design: quantitative and qualitative. These designs 
have fundamental differences which will be discussed only briefly in this section.  The 
basic difference between the two designs is that quantitative research presents results 
with statistics, and qualitative research uses words to describe phenomena (McMillan & 
Schumacher 1993:40). The present study utilises a combination of   qualitative and 
quantitative research methodologies. Two types of quantitative approaches are 
distinguished: experimental and non-experimental. The non-experimental type is selected 
for this study. In non-experimental design there is no manipulation of conditions. Rather, 
the investigator makes observations or obtains measures from subjects to describe 
something that has occurred (McMillan & Schumacher 1993:32). Survey research is non-
experimental design and is the method used in this study.