Quantitative research approach

Of southern zing your social sciences research zing your social sciences research paper: quantitative purpose of this guide is to provide advice on how to develop and organize a research paper in the social of research flaws to ndent and dependent ry of research terms. Choosing a research ing a topic ning a topic ing the timeliness of a topic idea. An oral g with g someone else's to manage group of structured group project survival g a book le book review ing collected g a field informed g a policy g a research tative methods emphasize objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques. Quantitative research focuses on gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular , earl r. London: sage publications, teristics of quantitative goal in conducting quantitative research study is to determine the relationship between one thing [an independent variable] and another [a dependent or outcome variable] within a population. Quantitative research designs are either descriptive [subjects usually measured once] or experimental [subjects measured before and after a treatment]. A descriptive study establishes only associations between variables; an experimental study establishes tative research deals in numbers, logic, and an objective stance. Quantitative research focuses on numeric and unchanging data and detailed, convergent reasoning rather than divergent reasoning [i. The generation of a variety of ideas about a research problem in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner]. Main characteristics are:The data is usually gathered using structured research results are based on larger sample sizes that are representative of the research study can usually be replicated or repeated, given its high cher has a clearly defined research question to which objective answers are aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is are in the form of numbers and statistics, often arranged in tables, charts, figures, or other non-textual t can be used to generalize concepts more widely, predict future results, or investigate causal cher uses tools, such as questionnaires or computer software, to collect numerical overarching aim of a quantitative research study is to classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is to keep in mind when reporting the results of a study using quantitative methods:Explain the data collected and their statistical treatment as well as all relevant results in relation to the research problem you are investigating. Los angeles, ca: sage, research design for quantitative designing a quantitative research study, you must decide whether it will be descriptive or experimental because this will dictate how you gather, analyze, and interpret the results. An experimental design includes subjects measured before and after a particular treatment, the sample population may be very small and purposefully chosen, and it is intended to establish causality between introduction to a quantitative study is usually written in the present tense and from the third person point of view. It covers the following information:Identifies the research problem -- as with any academic study, you must state clearly and concisely the research problem being s the literature -- review scholarship on the topic, synthesizing key themes and, if necessary, noting studies that have used similar methods of inquiry and analysis. If necessary, define unfamiliar or complex terms, concepts, or ideas and provide the appropriate background information to place the research problem in proper context [e. Methods section of a quantitative study should describe how each objective of your study will be achieved. Be sure to provide enough detail to enable the reader can make an informed assessment of the methods being used to obtain results associated with the research problem. If appropriate, describe the specific instruments of analysis used to study each research objective, including mathematical techniques and the type of computer software used to manipulate the finding of your study should be written objectively and in a succinct and precise format. In quantitative studies, it is common to use graphs, tables, charts, and other non-textual elements to help the reader understand the data.

List of quantitative research methods

The discussion should be presented in the present retation of results -- reiterate the research problem being investigated and compare and contrast the findings with the research questions underlying the study. Describe any limitations or unavoidable bias in your study and, if necessary, note why these limitations did not inhibit effective interpretation of the your study by to summarizing the topic and provide a final comment and assessment of the y of findings – synthesize the answers to your research questions. Do not report any statistical data here; just provide a narrative summary of the key findings and describe what was learned that you did not know before conducting the endations – if appropriate to the aim of the assignment, tie key findings with policy recommendations or actions to be taken in research – note the need for future research linked to your study’s limitations or to any remaining gaps in the literature that were not addressed in your , thomas r. Doing quantitative research in the social sciences: an integrated approach to research design, measurement and statistics. Kennesaw state ths of using quantitative tative researchers try to recognize and isolate specific variables contained within the study framework, seek correlation, relationships and causality, and attempt to control the environment in which the data is collected to avoid the risk of variables, other than the one being studied, accounting for the relationships the specific strengths of using quantitative methods to study social science research problems:Allows for a broader study, involving a greater number of subjects, and enhancing the generalization of the results;. Generally, quantitative methods are designed to provide summaries of data that support generalizations about the phenomenon under study. In order to accomplish this, quantitative research usually involves few variables and many cases, and employs prescribed procedures to ensure validity and reliability;. Well establshed standards means that the research can be replicated, and then analyzed and compared with similar studies;. Los angeles, ca: sage, tions of using quantiative tative methods presume to have an objective approach to studying research problems, where data is controlled and measured, to address the accumulation of facts, and to determine the causes of behavior. As a consequence, the results of quantitative research may be statistically significant but are often humanly specific limitations associated with using quantitative methods to study research problems in the social sciences include:Quantitative data is more efficient and able to test hypotheses, but may miss contextual detail;. Development of standard questions by researchers can lead to "structural bias" and false representation, where the data actually reflects the view of the researcher instead of the participating subject;. Research is often carried out in an unnatural, artificial environment so that a level of control can be applied to the exercise. University of southern us: 727-442-4290blogabout | academic solutions | academic research resources | dissertation resources | research methods | quantitative research tative research tative research most often uses deductive logic, in which researchers start with hypotheses and then collect data which can be used to determine whether empirical evidence to support that hypothesis tative analysis requires numeric information in the form of variables. Often researchers are interested in characteristics which are not numeric in nature (such as gender, race, religiosity), but even these variables are assigned numeric values for use in quantitative analysis although these numbers do not measure the amount of the characteristic present. In experimental settings, researchers can directly collect quantitative data (such as reaction times, blood pressure) or such data can be self-reported by research participants on a pretest or posttest. Questionnaires – either interviewer- or self-administered – are commonly used to collect quantitative data by asking respondents to report attitudes, experiences, demographics, etc. Direct observation of quantitative data which has been gathered for another purpose is also common, such as quantitative data that is recorded in patients’ medical charts or the results of students’ standardized tests. Common quantitative approach is known as secondary data analysis, in which a researcher analyzes data that were originally collected by another research team.

Different quantitative methods

Often these are large-scale, nationally-representative data sets that require extensive resources to collect; such data sets are made available by many organizations to allow many researchers to conduct independent research using high quality eses for quantitative analysis tend to be highly specific, describing clear relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Hypotheses for categorical variables specify which category of the independent will be more likely to report a certain category of the dependent variable; for example: gender is associated with having experienced sexual harassment; women are more likely to report ever having experienced sexual harassment than results of quantitative analysis are most commonly reported in the form of statistical tables or graphs. Such models allow researchers to rule out alternative explanations and to specify the conditions under which their hypotheses are quantitative approach is especially useful for addressing specific questions about relatively well-defined phenomena. Quantitative analysis requires high-quality data in which variables are measured well (meaning the values of the variables must accurately represent differences in the characteristics of interest); this can be challenging when conducting research on complicated or understudied areas that do not lend themselves well to being measured with specific variables. Because it uses deductive logic and is therefore more easily viewed as “real science,” the quantitative approach is often perceived as providing stronger empirical evidence than other research tative wikipedia, the free to: navigation, article has multiple issues. Natural sciences and social sciences, quantitative research is the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. 1] the objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics, percentages, etc. 1] the researcher analyses the data with the help of statistics and hopes the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to some larger population. Qualitative research, on the other hand, inquires deeply into specific experiences, with the intention of describing and exploring meaning through text, narrative, or visual-based data, by developing themes exclusive to that set of participants. Social sciences, quantitative research is widely used in psychology, economics, demography, sociology, marketing, community health, health & human development, gender and political science, and less frequently in anthropology and history. Research in mathematical sciences such as physics is also 'quantitative' by definition, though this use of the term differs in context. In the social sciences, the term relates to empirical methods, originating in both philosophical positivism and the history of statistics, which contrast with qualitative research ative research produces information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses. Comprehensive analysis of 1274 articles published in the top two american sociology journals between 1935 and 2005 found that roughly two thirds of these articles used quantitative method. Relationship with qualitative tative research is generally made using scientific methods, which can include:The generation of models, theories and development of instruments and methods for mental control and manipulation of tion of empirical ng and analysis of tative research is often contrasted with qualitative research, which is the examination, analysis and interpretation of observations for the purpose of discovering underlying meanings and patterns of relationships, including classifications of types of phenomena and entities, in a manner that does not involve mathematical models. 4] approaches to quantitative psychology were first modeled on quantitative approaches in the physical sciences by gustav fechner in his work on psychophysics, which built on the work of ernst heinrich weber. Although a distinction is commonly drawn between qualitative and quantitative aspects of scientific investigation, it has been argued that the two go hand in hand.

What is quantitative methods

5] qualitative research is often used to gain a general sense of phenomena and to form theories that can be tested using further quantitative research. For instance, in the social sciences qualitative research methods are often used to gain better understanding of such things as intentionality (from the speech response of the researchee) and meaning (why did this person/group say something and what did it mean to them? Quantitative investigation of the world has existed since people first began to record events or objects that had been counted, the modern idea of quantitative processes have their roots in auguste comte's positivist framework. Is the most widely used branch of mathematics in quantitative research outside of the physical sciences, and also finds applications within the physical sciences, such as in statistical mechanics. Quantitative research using statistical methods starts with the collection of data, based on the hypothesis or theory. In the field of health, for example, researchers might measure and study the relationship between dietary intake and measurable physiological effects such as weight loss, controlling for other key variables such as exercise. Quantitatively based opinion surveys are widely used in the media, with statistics such as the proportion of respondents in favor of a position commonly reported. In the field of climate science, researchers compile and compare statistics such as temperature or atmospheric concentrations of carbon cal relationships and associations are also frequently studied by using some form of general linear model, non-linear model, or by using factor analysis. A fundamental principle in quantitative research is that correlation does not imply causation, although some such as clive granger suggest that a series of correlations can imply a degree of causality. Associations may be examined between any combination of continuous and categorical variables using methods of regarding the role of measurement in quantitative research are somewhat divergent. However, it has been argued that measurement often plays a more important role in quantitative research. 9] for example, kuhn argued that within quantitative research, the results that are shown can prove to be strange. This is because accepting a theory based on results of quantitative data could prove to be a natural phenomenon. This field is central to much quantitative research that is undertaken within the social tative research may involve the use of proxies as stand-ins for other quantities that cannot be directly measured. Although scientists cannot directly measure the temperature of past years, tree-ring width and other climate proxies have been used to provide a semi-quantitative record of average temperature in the northern hemisphere back to 1000 a. Most physical and biological sciences, the use of either quantitative or qualitative methods is uncontroversial, and each is used when appropriate. The majority tendency throughout the history of social science, however, is to use eclectic approaches-by combining both methods. Qualitative methods might be used to understand the meaning of the conclusions produced by quantitative methods.

Using quantitative methods, it is possible to give precise and testable expression to qualitative ideas. This combination of quantitative and qualitative data gathering is often referred to as mixed-methods research. The numerical factors such as two tablets, percent of elements and the time of waiting make the situations and results finance, quantitative research into the stock markets is used to develop models to price complex trades, and develop algorithms to exploit investment hypotheses, as seen in quantitative hedge funds and trading strategy tative marketing tative fication (science). A choice of research strategy for identifying community-based action skill requirements in the process of delivering housing market renewal. Ries: quantitative researchhidden categories: cs1 maint: multiple names: authors listpages with citations having redundant parameterscs1 errors: datesarticles needing additional references from may 2009all articles needing additional referencesarticles needing expert attention with no reason or talk parameterarticles needing expert attention from november 2009all articles needing expert attentionsociology articles needing expert logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog pagecontentsfeatured contentcurrent eventsrandom articledonate to wikipediawikipedia out wikipediacommunity portalrecent changescontact links hererelated changesupload filespecial pagespermanent linkpage informationwikidata itemcite this a bookdownload as pdfprintable version. A non-profit p a research ng the methodology - the quantitative ology | student resources | variables. You are on this path, you have decide that the overall design of your project will take a quantitative described before in elements of the proposal, there are four main types of quantitative research designs. You will need to decide which one is most appropriate for your research there are many different investigations that can be done, a study with a quantitative approach generally can be described with the characteristics of one of the following four types:Descriptive research seeks to describe the current status of an identified variable or phenomenon. The researcher does not usually begin with an hypothesis, but is likely to develop one after collecting data. Description of the attitudes of scientists regarding global ational research attempts to determine the extent of a relationship between two or more variables using statistical data. Sometimes correlational research is considered a type of descriptive research, and not as its own type of research, as no variables are manipulated in the relationship between intelligence and relationship between diet and relationship between an aptitude test and success in an algebra covariance of smoking and lung -comparative/quasi-experimental research attempts to establish cause-effect relationships among the variables. The researcher does not randomly assign groups and must use ones that are naturally formed or pre-existing groups. Identified control groups exposed to the treatment variable are studied and compared to groups who are effect of an aerobic exercise program on children's rates of effect of part-time employment on the achievement of high school effect of age on lung mental research, often called true experimentation, uses the scientific method to establish the cause-effect relationship among a group of variables that make up a study. Select and mark which one of the four types of research design you think your investigation will be. Most quantitative research designs use mathematical and scientific models to explain, predict, and/or control phenomena. This approach can also be concerned with the measurement and statistics of attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions based on observable behavior of e this approach is a systematic investigation that collects numerical data to test hypotheses, it is considered empirical in nature. Data analysis and conclusions use deductive reasoning, a process where repeated observations of a phenomenon leads one to believe that there is a certain probability and predictability attached to the occurrence of that is the basic methodology for a quantitative research design? The basic procedure of a quantitative design is:Make your observations about something that is unknown, unexplained, or new.

Present your findings in an appropriate form for your important things to note:The extent to which extraneous, uncontrolled or unidentified, variables have been controlled by the researcher affects the validity of the quantitative study. Be sure to identify all variables that may have effects in an investigation and account for them in your are some great resources that may assist you in designing and completing your investigation:Textbook chapter: experimental and non-experimental qualitative university tutorials page with all types of research about forensic psychology (a web site about this specific topic, but a great illustrative example of scientific methodology, too). Experimental design generator and es of different types of quantitative designs:  criminal  qualitatively designed proposal with clear you need to go to your planning guide to being to think about and plan for your own quantitative methodology.