Research is a thinking activity to acquire new and reliable knowledge and process facts or materials through various research methods. The selection, application and innovation of research methods are very important for research work. The following is my research paper on quantitative and qualitative analysis of economic research for your reference.
Abstract: Qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis are two basic means of economic research. The former is the analysis of the nature and attributes of economic things; The latter is a quantitative investigation of economic things. This paper attempts to start with the definitions of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis and their respective characteristics, expound the arguments about qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis in academic circles, and analyze the relationship between qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis in economic research.
Keywords: quantitative analysis; Qualitative analysis; economic research
Research is a thinking activity to acquire new and reliable knowledge and process facts or materials through various research methods. The selection, application and innovation of research methods are very important for research work. In the course of the development of economics, economists constantly introduce research methods from other disciplines or create a series of new research methods to serve them. The introduction and innovation of these research methods have greatly promoted the development of economic theory and related scientific theories, and expanded the depth and breadth of economic research. But we must also correctly understand and apply the research methods in economic methodology, grasp the correct scale and direction, and make our research work get twice the result with half the effort. However, due to the particularity and complexity of the research object of economics, there has been controversy in academic circles about which of the two analytical methods is more scientific and reasonable, qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis.
In the field of economics, quantitative analysis holds that adopting mathematical language and following the inherent logical procedures of mathematics is helpful to express ideas clearly, make concepts accurate, demonstrate logic strictly, and avoid misinterpretation and confusion. For example, stigler, an economist, thinks that this change is not only worth doing, but also necessary. Its transformation is helpful to the development of economics and mathematical economics. On the other hand, the opposite view holds that although strictly following mathematical logic procedures can make chaotic thoughts clear, mathematics is only an auxiliary means of economic understanding and cannot replace qualitative analysis. Abuse of mathematical means will also produce many fallacies. Samuelson, a famous economist, believes that this transformation is not only useless, but also involves a stale knowledge geometry. Combined with the debate about qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis in domestic economic research, this paper tries to analyze the relationship between qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis in economic research from their definitions and their respective characteristics.
First, the definition and characteristics of qualitative analysis
Qualitative analysis is to understand the quality of things, find the essential connection of things, and analyze the nature and characteristics of things or events. The so-called quality refers to the inherent stipulation that things become themselves and make them different from other things. Everything in the world can present diversity because it is different from others and has its own specific qualities. Only by correctly understanding the quality of things can we distinguish different things.
Only by recognizing the things themselves and grasping the trend of their development and change can we adopt corresponding policies and measures in practice. It is on this basis that qualitative analysis determines the concept according to the phenomenon and essence of things, judges their future development degree, and makes non-quantitative analysis of things. Such as the reflection of principles and policies, the changes in production and market situation caused by price adjustment of some commodities, the influence of economic system reform on market situation, and the changes in purchasing power investment driven by international trade. It is difficult to express it accurately in quantity and can only be estimated and judged by qualitative analysis. Qualitative analysis is based on experience and logical thinking, mainly relying on personal subjective experience and intuitive materials to determine the nature and degree of future events and trends. It has certain guiding significance for the long-term and long-term planning of enterprises, the development prospect of major events, the estimation and judgment of market situation, and the formulation of work plans and business activities.
In economic research, qualitative analysis mainly uses the abstract method of the unity of history and logic, focuses on the essence of economic phenomena, summarizes the main factors affecting the economic operation mechanism, and then deduces the general law of economic development through the analysis and synthesis of the main factors. Answering questions such as the influence of the main factors on economic operation, the abstract relationship between the main factors, the historical process of economic development, and the future development trend is more suitable for in-depth and multi-faceted analysis and research of the case at different levels. Such as expert investigation method, subjective probability method, opinion set method, correlation analysis method, historical experience analysis method and so on, are all concrete methods of qualitative analysis.
Qualitative analysis is characterized by simplicity and can be cited without data. Its shortcomings are lack of quantitative analysis, extensive and not specific, with certain subjective elements, and easily influenced by the emotions and situations of analysts and judges.
Second, the definition and characteristics of quantitative analysis
Quantitative analysis refers to the quantitative analysis and research of things. Quantity refers to the scale, development degree and speed of things, as well as the arrangement and combination of their components in space, which can be expressed by quantity. It uses quantitative indicators to analyze and study the actual effect, development trend and degree of things. Quantitative analysis is based on mathematics, statistics, metrology, probability theory, system theory, cybernetics, information theory, operational research and electronics, and studies are carried out by using numbers, equations, models, charts and computers.
The main analytical methods include mathematical economics and econometrics. It can be applied to market forecasting, business decision-making, business dynamic analysis, commodity distribution analysis, inventory analysis, cost accounting, cost benefit, economic effect, labor efficiency, market dynamic analysis and so on. With the development of science and technology and the continuous improvement of management level, the application of mathematical statistics and econometric analysis in economic research will be more and more extensive and play a greater role. The analysis of factor quantity, time quantity and proportion quantity all belong to the category of quantitative analysis. Quantitative analysis is characterized by its sensitivity, accuracy and objectivity.
Compared with the subjectivity of qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis is based on empirical facts, objectively analyzes the development, change and state trend of things through the abstraction and rigor of the logical structure of mathematical or econometric models, and makes corresponding judgments immediately. However, not all economic phenomena can be expressed in quantitative or numerical form, which inevitably leads to the limitations of quantitative analysis.
Third, the relationship between qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis.
To sum up, it is necessary to introduce mathematical methods into the study of economics. As early as? Marginal revolution? Walras, Pareto, edgeworth, etc. The neoclassical school of economics has used a lot of mathematical methods to study and analyze economic theories and economic phenomena. Ricardo, in his masterpiece Principles of Economics and Taxation, used mathematical chart analysis many times to discuss the problems of grade rent, wages, capital turnover and comparative cost.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Friedrich, the originator of econometrics? Ding Bogen also combined economic theory, statistics and econometrics to study economic cycle with mathematical model, and achieved fruitful results. The abstraction of mathematics can make the complicated economic relations clear. The accuracy of mathematics can make the quantitative relationship between economic categories be accurately studied and described, and also help to define economic categories accurately. The strict logic of mathematics can make the reasoning of economic theory get twice the result with half the effort and correct the mistakes in theory to some extent. But at the same time, we must also face up to the defects of mathematical methods. After all, mathematical method is just a tool, and its quality depends on people's use of it. At the same time, as a means of quantitative analysis, the application of mathematical analysis must be based on qualitative analysis.
Furthermore, in the real economic field, there are many economic phenomena that are difficult to explain and explain simply by mathematical models. Powerful use of mathematical models to quantify some factors will lead to deviation from economic imagination, distortion or separation from the practical significance of research. Keynes also criticized it in General History? Symbolic pseudo-mathematical method of formal economic analysis system? Think? In the pretentious but unhelpful maze of symbols, the author will lose his insight into the complexity and interdependence in the real world. ?
However, there are many deviations in the understanding and handling of quantity in the field of economic research today. Because it is difficult for many scholars at home and abroad to achieve rapid results in economic research, they make a big fuss about mathematical forms, ignore the essence of the economic phenomena or things they study, lack intuitive judgment and value understanding of economic phenomena, and only pay attention to the fancy surface of mathematical analysis and the complexity of models. What's more, in order to make the papers and research meet the consistency of mathematical logic, we fabricated economic data and pieced together the parameter range. Ideal? The empirical results did not make the content of economic research divorced from reality or lose the real significance of research.
Although quantitative analysis has certain advantages, it is only an accurate study of some characteristics of a large number of samples, so it can only measure the superficial and quantifiable part of economic phenomena, but can not deeply analyze its deep reasons and specific details. The correct orientation of economics research should be based on a certain understanding of the content of economics itself and the nature of the research object.
What does Marxist philosophy think? Everything has two aspects: qualitative stipulation and quantitative stipulation, which is the unity of quality and quantity. Quality is a certain quantity of quality, and quantity is a quantity based on a certain quality. Things with different qualities have different quantities, and the boundaries of quantities are also different. On the one hand, quality determines a certain quantity and defines the activity range of quantity. On the other hand, quality must be based on a certain quantity, which depends on the boundary of quantity. When the quantity exceeds the limit of quantity, the quality of things will change. Therefore, quality and quantity are mutually combined and prescribed, forming the unity of matter and quantity, that is, degree? . Similarly, in economic research, qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis are essentially two aspects of the same cognitive process.
Qualitative analysis is the basis of quantitative analysis and the starting point of understanding. Quantitative analysis is the deepening of qualitative analysis and the accuracy of understanding. Qualitative analysis mainly grasps the overall significance and value relationship of educational phenomena through understanding and explanation, and reveals the value, history and sociality of educational phenomena. The question raising, theoretical construction, hypothesis verification and result evaluation of economic research are all based on qualitative analysis. Logical propositions, mathematical models and statistical analysis in quantitative research should naturally be based on the understanding and explanation of basic problems or theoretical assumptions. Quantitative methods study the quantitative change process of things, and grasp the essential characteristics of relative stability by studying the degree of things, that is, the limit and scope of things to maintain their own quality. Therefore, in economic research, qualitative research and quantitative research should not be separated and opposed, but should be unified. By analyzing the quantitative changes and quantitative relations of economic phenomena themselves, we can understand the essential laws of economic phenomena.
Four. conclusion
In short, economics is essentially a science that studies human economic behavior and economic phenomena under the constraints of established resources. People's behavior often has irrational characteristics such as blindness, sociality and subjectivity, and not all of them can be quantitatively analyzed and explained by rational logic. At the same time, human society is a multi-variable, multi-factor and multi-level complex dynamic system. The research object of economics determines that its research methods should not be single, but should be verified and analyzed from different angles, and the research of economics needs more sophisticated research theories to deepen. Therefore, it is decided that economics must be compatible with other natural and social disciplines and combine qualitative and quantitative analysis.
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