大数据时代定量与定性研究方法的对立与统合

The Opposition and Blending of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Method in the Era of Big Data

中国社会科学研究历来注重定性分析而忽视定量分析,大数据时代的到来将从根本上改变这一传统。然而,学术界目前在定量与定性分析孰轻孰重问题上仍然莫衷一是。面对信息量的快速增长和数据结构的差异化,社会科学研究方法也必须在对立与统合中实现新的平衡。无论定量与定性方法以何种形式展现,它们始终都属于工具主义范畴。从工具主义走向建构主义和实证主义是学术研究者们在大数据时代的首要任务。研究方法是开启新的思想认知的钥匙。

Chinese social science always focused on qualitative analysis and ignored quantitative analysis, but the coming era of big data would change the tradition significantly. So far, the academic circle still haven＇ t achieved universal consensus in this issue. Confronting fast growth of information and differentiation of data structure, the research method of social science needs to pursue the new balance in the opposition and blending. Whatever the ways research method of quantitative and qualitative appears by, they are in the scope of instrumentalism all the time. Stepping from instrumentalism to constructivism and positivism is the primary mission for academic researchers in the ear of big data. In this point, research method is the key to open the fresh thoughts.