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is qualitative research empirical?

P

Hello,

can someone please tell me if qualitative research is empirical? I am getting different meanings from the Internet and need to know the answer now.
Thanks

What are the differences between: qualitative/quantitative/empirical?
Is qualitative the opposite of quantitative, and still empirical, or is qualitative research not empirical?

C

Both qualitative and quantitative research can be empirical. Empiricism is the school of thought which states that knowledge must be gained from experience (experimentation). In my field (molecular biology) I rely on empirical research of both a qualitative and quantitative nature: qualitative - do these two proteins interact in vivo? Quantitative - by how much does over expression of this protein in vivo enhance virulence of the pathogen I'm working on compared to the control?

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