Quantitative research methods
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. Government agency], you still must report on the methods that were used to gather the data and describe any missing data that exists and, if there is any, provide a clear explanation why the missing data does not undermine the validity of your final , earl r. 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.
Research methods in quantitative research
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. The methods section should be presented in the past population and sampling -- where did the data come from; how robust is it; note where gaps exist or what was excluded. Collection – describe the tools and methods used to collect information and identify the variables being measured; describe the methods used to obtain the data; and, note if the data was pre-existing [i. Note that no data set is perfect--describe any limitations in methods of gathering analysis -- describe the procedures for processing and analyzing the data. 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. 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. 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. 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. Positivist scholars like comte believed only scientific methods rather than previous spiritual explanations for human behavior could tative methods are an integral component of the five angles of analysis fostered by the data percolation methodology,[7] which also includes qualitative methods, reviews of the literature (including scholarly), interviews with experts and computer simulation, and which forms an extension of data tative methods have limitations. 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. You should still be able to navigate through these materials but selftest questions will not 9 : introduction to 1: introduction to 2 research and the voluntary and community 3 primary and secondary 4 research 5 quantitative research. The advantages and disadvantages of 6 qualitative 7 ethics and data 8 presenting and using research ment guide for module 5 quantitative research. Overview of quantitative and qualitative ology is concerned about both the ways in which the research is carried out - i. Its structure and process, as well as with the way in which this information is two approaches to research are:Quantitative - based on the methods used in the natural ative - based on methods which are said to be tative methods:Used to find out how much, how many, how often, to what to be objective and scientific in its tative research is hypothetico-deductive in its approach to constructing social to assess and regarded as a way to get to the truth, to understand the world well enough so that we might predict and control it through identifying cause and effect tative research can stered by the attached link provides an insight into the use of quantitative methods to search for unit will investigate quantitative research, its role, purpose, process and strengths and with wimba richard g. Comprehensive resource for faculty and students who are teaching and conducting ng a research tical models (using theory). Method and scientific ing the utional review board and research s/tative methods analysis als/webinars/g the abstract for your graduate capstone thesis at amu/ writing for research care of tative is quantitative 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.
Labaree and used with his 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. Government agency], you still must report on the methods that were used to gather the data and describe any missing data that exists and, if there is any, provide a clear explanation why the missing data does not undermine the validity of your final s: babbie, earl r. Labaree and used with his ry of key colorado state university: this glossary provides definitions of many of the terms used in the guides to conducting qualitative and quantitative research. The definitions were developed by members of the research methods seminar (e600) taught by mike palmquist in the 1990s and ns basic definitions and examples of presenting data, sampling, probability, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, paired data, correlation and regression, design of experiments, anova, categorical data, and non-parametric methods. Presented by university of ed books on quantitative ed books from the apus practices in quantitative ation date: ons quantitative methods in the 21st century, identifies the best practices, and, where possible, demonstrates the superiority of their recommendations quantitative research in education with ation date: accessible and authoritative introduction for education students and researchers needing to use quantitative methods for the first time. Using datasets from real-life educational research, avoiding the use of mathematical formulae, guides students through the essential techniques that they will need to know, explaining each procedure using the latest version of uction to quantitative research methods: an investigative mark balnaves; peter ation date: 2001. Focuses on principles and techniques that are appropriate to introductory level courses in media, psychology and tative and statistical research methods: from hypothesis to william e. User-friendly textbook that teaches students to understand and apply procedural steps in completing quantitative studies. Focusing on statistical techniques that mirror key narrative features, also shows how quantitative narrative analysis (qna) goes hand-in-hand with another technique of qualitative data analysis: qca (qualitative comparative analysis). Date: new collection provides readers with a representative sample of the best articles in quantitative methods that have appeared in sage journals as chosen by w. Paul vogt, editor of other successful major reference collections such as selecting research methods (2008) and data collection (2010). Double-blind peer-review scholarly, open access publication in the broad area of quantitative methods whose goal is to identify relevant problems in high need of solutions by encouraging the application of quantitative methods across l of quantitative hes papers that apply quantitative techniques to substantive, methodological, or evaluative concerns relevant to the criminological community. The contents span a broad range of disciplines, drawing on research advances in statistics, sociology, geography, political science, economics, and tative methods for in the apus collection as tutorials in quantitative methods for psychology.
A peer-reviewed electronic journal that publishes articles and tutorials in all areas of quantitative psychology. The mission of the journal is to help both novice and expert researchers acquire methods related to the implementation of experimental paradigms, the description and analysis of data, and the development of quantitative ed books on quantitative research data ed books from the apus ing quantitative ation date: ed for social researchers who need to know what procedures to use under what circumstances, in practical research projects. It accomplishes this without requiring an in-depth understanding of statistical theory, but also avoids both trivializing procedures or resorting to cookbook practices in data cleaning: a complete guide to everything you need to do before and after collecting your ation date: es a clear, accessible, step-by-step process of important best practices in preparing for data collection, testing assumptions, and examining and cleaning data in order to decrease error rates and increase both the power and replicability of reting quantitative ation date: accessible book that provides a novel and useful resource for doing quantitative research. Offers a guide on how to: interpret the complex reality of the social world; achieve effective measurement; understand the use of official statistics; use social surveys; understand probability and quantitative reasoning; interpret measurements; apply linear modelling; understand simulation and neural nets; and integrate quantitative and qualitative modelling in the research on quantitative tative vs qualitative research. The production was created as a midterm submission by students of east tennessee state university's edfn 5950 - methods of research hed on mar 6, 2012 | runtime 4:36 min.
