Introduction
In the daily real life situations, various aspects of life draw the attention and curiosity of researchers. Researchers tend to tackle issues with the intention of revealing the relationship among variables or problems that they encounter in the field. Therefore, the term research needs to be defined and explained before preceding to data collection methods which are the objective of this research. The term research has been defined multiple researchers throughout various disciplines due to the spectrum of viewing research. Waltz and Bausell(1981) referred to research as phenomena interpretations and problems solving using systematic and formal procedures. Furthermore, Payton (1979) defined research as finding answers for
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In the followings sections, quantitative and qualitative methods are presented and described. The studies employing quantitative and qualitative methods are examined in order to highlight the merits and demerits of each method.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is one of the most common methods that researchers in different disciplines employ in order to collect and analyze data. Cohen (1980) defined quantitative research as the empirical procedures that researchers apply while tackling social phenomena and problems using numerical measurements and standard norms. Furthermore, Creswell (1994) indicated that mathematical means are applied in quantitative research to investigate and analyze phenomena via collecting numerical data collection. Quantitative research addresses phenomenon and problems in an objective manner using scientific, numerical and statistical procedures and measurements.
Quantitative research is a distinct form of methods that targets groups issues and general patterns using deductive strategies selected derived from theoretical frameworks. Researchers use studies reported in the body of literature regarding their interests and majors as research resources. Additionally, the problems and phenomena that researcher encounter in the field attracts their attention and curiosity. King at al (1994) indicated that researchers develop replicable studies in which they formulate
Quantitative research is done to find the accurate facts by evaluating the problems like opinion, behaviour by using numerical data. This research is based on theories, hypothesis, collecting, analysing the data to make the research accurate.
Researchers use a quantitative research approach to test a theory or hypothesis. For example, if a researcher wants to know if students’ grades improve after a certain number of weeks in a math course, the researcher could conduct a statistical analysis using samples of student grades to test the change in students’ grades after a given number of weeks in the math course. Analysis of pre and post-test data on student test scores would yield the information necessary to answer the quantitative research questions. The results of quantitative analyses are then used to make a statistically generalization of the larger population (Yin, 2013; Creswell, 2013). Conversely, if a researcher wants to understand how the study habits of the top performers of a math class differ from the study habits of low performers, he or she could conduct observations and interviews with students to uncover common themes
Quantitative research is a form of conclusive research involving large representative samples and fairly structured data collection procedures. A primary role of quantitative research is to test a hypothesis (Roberts, 2012).
Quantitative research is generally done using scientific methods, which includes the following steps: developing models, theories, and hypotheses of what the researcher expects to find, developing
A quantitative study has objective stances, logic, and numbers focusing on unchanging data and details (Babbie, E.R., 2010). The aim of quantitative research is to classify features, count the features, and construct statistical models to explain what was observed (McNabb, D.E., 2008). It has eight characteristics:
In defining quantitative research the term can be dichotomized. Firstly, research refers to creative, systematic work with the intention to increase the knowledge of man and thereby devise new applications (OECD, 2002). In addition Gray (1997) stated that research should improve performance and that the results should be
This study used a quantitative methodology of data collecting to answer the research questions. The specific research questions studied included the following:
Quantitative research has numerous strengths and weaknesses as well. The most popular and main form of quantitative research is the use of surveys, which are cheaper and less costly than other forms of data collection. Another beneficial quality of the quantitative approach is the lack of contact between the researcher and the participants, which allows researchers to collect data that could be more biasedly based if used with the qualitative approach. However, quantitative research has its downfalls. Because the sample sizes are so large it lengthens the time of the data collection process and interviewing the participants again is usually not possible, which could alter the consistency of the results (Cooper & Schindler, 2008).
The quantitative approach to research has numerous principles that make it unique compared to other approaches. In this paper, I will break down many of the
The purpose of this paper will be to present the contrasts in the type of information that was gained while reviewing two studies. The studies reviewed were a qualitative study and a quantitative study. The general advantages and disadvantages of the two types of studies will also be presented. Qualitative and quantitative studies both have a place in research, even though the two study designs take a very different approach to research. Lastly, a response will be given in support of the qualitative research being beneficial to the world of science.
Quantitative research defines the research that can produce statistics, solid facts, and numbers. It uses measurements and statistical analyses.
Quantitative research is a type of research that involves the use of numerical data and is used to obtain information. This involves testing a hypothesis or trying to discover correlations and relationships.
Quantitative research is gathered using a traditional tactic, that is a calculated way of obtaining data (Polit & Beck, 2017). Data
A quantitative research could be defined as a process that is formal, systematic and objective, where numerical data are used to gather information about something or someone. This research method is used to describe variables, examine relationships among variables, and to determine cause-and-effect interactions between the variables (Burns and Grove, 2005). The quantitative approach is mostly utilised in social science as well as educational (Hohmann, 2006). It quantifies the way people behave, think, feel, or other defined variables in a certain way, and it uses statistical analysis to determine the results (Sheldon, 2015). According to DeVault (2015), in most cases, there is an assumed hypothesis in form of statements that a research works on to answer. This hypothesis could be classified into two variables; independent and dependent. The former is a variable that can be developed by the researcher, while the latter is a function of independent variable (Kaliwo, 2014). In the conclusion section, these hypotheses will be either accepted or rejected based on the analysis of the collected data (DeVault, 2015).
This chapter explains the methodology that was employed to answer research questions discussed in Chapter 2. It includes a description of research design, how the instrument was developed, how the subjects were selected, and how the data were collect analyzed.