Most researches involve a mix-approach of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. However, some studies are in favor of qualitative because of its subjective experience and deeper insights into the topic.
Both are good, qualitative and quantitative analysis should be used as a complementarity and not as an opposition, because these two approaches are essentials in research
Neither is inherently more plausible. It depends on your aim:
· If you want to understand meaning and context: Qualitative is more appropriate.
· If you want to measure frequency or association: Quantitative is better.
· Increasingly, researchers use mixed methods to combine both strengths — exploring the "why" with qualitative tools and testing the "how much" with quantitative ones.
It's interesting to reflect on the purpose of the study ; whether the qualitative approach aims to explore a broader range of aspects or to gain a deeper understanding. It also raises the question of whether such answers could be captured through quantitative methods.
I don't think that most researchers prefer a mixed methods approach, simply because of the difficulty and complexity of such studies. Remember, mixed methods as a popular option has only existed for the past 20 or so years, so both before and after that, "mono-methods" studies have been much more common.
They have different approaches and provide different things, so the choice will ultimately depend on the specific needs of the research area and the methods of exploration.
In scientific or policy-driven research where measurable outcomes are required, quantitative analysis tends to be more plausible because it produces generalizable, testable results.
In exploratory, social, or behavioral research, qualitative analysis is more plausible because it captures depth and meaning.