Overview of Steps Involved In Quantitative Research
Remember we have talked about the basic steps
involved in doing research in general.
Well, now let us focus specifically, on the
steps involved in doing quantitative research. At an abstract
level, the steps are the same, however, they are implemented
differently, when doing quantitative research.
I Steps Involved in Quantitative
Research
A Come up with question needs to be empirically answered
Typically, but not all of the time, quantitative research is based upon deductive reasoning. That is, quantitative research typically starts with theory. That is, a researcher has some explanation for what is going on. Next, the researcher attempts to test whether or not this explanation is empirically supported.
1. Two basic types of questions posed.
a. Hypothesis are statements derived from theory that can be empirically tested.
However, hypothesis are not the only types of questions that you will run across when reading quantitative studies.
Sometimes researchers simply proposed to answer research questions.
b. Research Questions are simply questions that can be answered based upon empirical investigation.
B. Determine Unit of Analysis
We have already talked about this issue. What we talked about before applies here as well.
C. Select a Research Method
Three basic methods to chose from. Each method is good for answering a different type of question.
We will spend a lot of time on each method:
survey is good for descriptive questions.
content analysis is good for descriptive
questions.
experiment is good for questions calling
for an explanation.
D. Operationalization
Decide exactly how you are going to measure your variables.
We will discuss this issue in more detail in
the next couple of lectures.
E. Sampling and Populations
Same principles as discussed before apply
when doing quantitative research.
F. Make your observations
Use procedures for measuring your variables.
Differs depending on the methods you
employ.
G. Analyze observations
Use statistics to identify patterns or relationships among the variables that were measured.
H. Interpret Results.
What answers did you get?
In short, quantitative methods can be
described as follows.
Quantitative methods simply means trying to
identify relationships among variables by assigning numerical
values to observations and trying to identify patterns through
the use of statistical analysis.