The purpose of this guide is to provide a starting point for learning about quantitative research. In this guide, you'll find:
Research involving the collection of data in numerical form for quantitative analysis. The numerical data can be durations, scores, counts of incidents, ratings, or scales. Quantitative data can be collected in either controlled or naturalistic environments, in laboratories or field studies, from special populations or from samples of the general population. The defining factor is that numbers result from the process, whether the initial data collection produced numerical values, or whether non-numerical values were subsequently converted to numbers as part of the analysis process, as in content analysis.
Citation: Garwood, J. (2006). Quantitative research. In V. Jupp (Ed.), The SAGE dictionary of social research methods. (pp. 251-252). London, England: SAGE Publications. doi:10.4135/9780857020116
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Researchers will compare two sets of numbers to try and identify a relationship (if any) between two things.
Researchers will attempt to quantify a variety of factors at play as they study a particular type of phenomenon or action. For example, researchers might use a descriptive methodology to understand the effects of climate change on the life cycle of a plant or animal.
To understand the effects of a variable, researchers will design an experiment where they can control as many factors as possible. This can involve creating control and experimental groups. The experimental group will be exposed to the variable to study its effects. The control group provides data about what happens when the variable is absent. For example, in a study about online teaching, the control group might receive traditional face-to-face instruction while the experimental group would receive their instruction virtually.
Researchers will attempt to determine what (if any) effect a variable can have. These studies may have multiple independent variables (causes) and multiple dependent variables (effects), but this can complicate researchers' efforts to find out if A can cause B or if X, Y, and Z are also playing a role.
Surveys can be considered a quantitative methodology if the researchers require their respondents to choose from pre-determined responses.
