CHAPTER 1 - LESSON

Characteristics, Strengths, Weaknesses, Kinds of Quantitative Research

INTRODUCTION
Quantitative research designs use numbers in stating generalizations about a given problem or
inquiry in contrast to qualitative research that hardly uses statistical treatment in stating
generalizations. '
These numbers are the results of objective scales of measurements of the units of analysis
called variables.
Research findings are subjected to statistical treatment to determine significant relation ships or
differences between variables, the results of which are the bases for generalization about phenomena.

Characteristics of Quantitative Research

 Methods or procedures of data gathering include items like age, gender, educational status, among
others, that call for measurable characteristics of the population.
 Standardized instruments guide data collection, thus, ensuring the accuracy, reliability and validity
of data.
 Figures, tables or graphs showcase summarized data collected in order to show tren ds,
relationships or differences among variables. In sum, the charts and tables allow you to see the
evidence collected.
 A large population yields more reliable data, but principles of random sampling must be strictly
followed to prevent researcher's bias.
 Quantitative methods can be repeated to verify findings in another setting, thus, reinforcing validity
of findings.
 Quantitative research puts emphasis on proof, rather than discovery.
 Just like qualitative research, quantitative research has its own set of strengths, as well as
weaknesses.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

 Strengths
1. Quantitative research design is the most reliable and valid way of concluding results, giving way
to a new hypothesis or to disproving it.
2. Because of a bigger number of the sample of a population, the results or generalizations are
more reliable and valid.
3. Quantitative experiments filter out external factors, if properly designed, and so the results
gained can be seen, as real and unbiased. Quantitative experim ents are useful for testing the
results gained by a series of qualitative experiments, leading to a final answer, and a narrowing
down of possible directions to follow. (https:// explorable.com/ quantitative research-design)

 Weaknesses
1. Quantitative research can be costly, difficult and time -consuming- difficult because most
researchers are non-mathematicians. '
2. Quantitative studies require extensive statistical treatment, requiring stringent standards, more
so with confirmation of results. When ambiguities in some findings surface, retesting and
refinement of the design call for another investment in time and resources to polish the results.
3. Quantitative methods also tend to turn out only proved or unproven results, lea ving little room
for uncertainty, or grey areas. For the social sciences, education, anthropology and psychology,
human nature is a lot more complex than just a simple yes or no response.
(https://explorable.com/quantitative-research-design.)

Kinds of Quantitative Research Designs

Research design refers to the overall strategy that you choose in order to integrate the
different components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby ensuring you will effectively
address the research problem. Furthermore, a research design constitutes the bl ueprint for the
selection, measurement and analysis of data. The research problem determines the research design
you should use.
Quantitative 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 designs are generally classified experimental and non experimental as the
following matrix shows:

Experimental research design allows the researcher to control the situation. In so doing, it
allows the researcher to answer the question, "What causes something to occur?" This kind of research
also allows the researcher to identify cause and effect relat ionships between variables and to
distinguish placebo effects from treatment effects. Further, this research design supports the ability to
limit alternative explanations and to infer direct causal relationships in the study; the approach provides
the highest level of evidence for single studies.
Pre-experimental types of research apply to experimental. designs with the least internal
validity. One type of pre-experiment, the single group, pre-test-post-test design, measures the group
two times, before and after the intervention.
Instead of comparing the pretest with the posttest within one group, the posttest of the treated groups is
compared with that of an untreated group. Measuring the effect as the difference between groups marks
this as between-subjects design. Assuming both groups experienced the same time -related influences,
the comparison group feature should protect this design from the rival explanations that threaten the
within-subject design.
Two classes of experimental designs can provide better internal validity than-pre-
experimental designs: quasi-experimental and true experimental (Dooly, 1999).
In a quasi-experimental design, the researcher can collect more data, either by scheduling
more observations or finding more existing measures.
A true experimental design controls for both time-related and group-related threats. Two
features mark true experiments- two or more differently treated groups and random assignment to these
groups. These features require that the researchers have control over the experimental treatment and
the power to place subjects in groups.
True experimental design employs both treated and control groups to deal with time -related rival
explanations.
A control group reflects changes other than those due to the treatment that occur during the
time of the study. Such changes include effects of outside events, maturation by the subjects, changes
in measures and impact of any pre-tests.
True experimental design offers the highest internal validity of all the designs. Quasi-
experimental design differs from true experimental design by the absence of random assignment of
subjects to different conditions. What quasi -experiments have in common with true experiments is that
some subjects receive an intervention and provide data likely t o reflect its impact.

Types of Quasi-Experimental Design

1. Non-equivalent control group design-refers to the chance failure of random assignment to
equalize the conditions by converting a true experiment into this kind of design, for purposes of
 analysis.
2. Interrupted Time Series Design- employs multiple measures before and after the experimental
intervention. It differs from the single -group pre-experiment that has only one pretest and one
posttest. Users of this design assume that the time threats such as history or maturation appear as
regular changes in the measures prior to the intervention.

Non-experimental Research Design

In this kind of design, the researcher observes the phenomena as they occur naturally and no
external variables are introduced. In this research design, the variables are not deliberately
manipulated nor is the setting controlled. Researchers collect data without making changes or
introducing treatments.
The Descriptive research design's main purpose is to observe, describe and docume nt
aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs and sometimes to serve as a starting point for hypothesis
generation or theory development (www.drjayeshpatidar. blogspot.com).

Types of Descriptive Research Designs

1. Survey - a research design used when the researcher intends to provide a quantitative or numeric
description of trends, attitudes or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population
(Creswell, 2003). For example, universities regularly float surveys to determine customer
satisfaction, that is, the students' attitudes toward or opinions regarding student services like the
canteen, clinic, security, the guidance and counseling services, and the like.
2. Correlational - Correlational Research has three types:
 Bivariate correlational studies- obtain scores from two variables for each subject, then use
them to calculate a correlation coefficient. The term bivariate implies that the two variables are
correlated (variables are selected because they are believed to be related).
Examples: Children of wealthier (variable #1), better educated (variable #2) parents earn higher
salaries as adults.
 Prediction studies-use correlation co-efficient to show how one variable (the predictor
variable) predicts another (the criterion variable).
Examples: Which high school applicants should be admitted to college?
 Multiple Regression Prediction Studies- suppose the high school GPA is not the sole
predictor of college GPA, what might be other good predict ors? All of these variables can
contribute to the over-all prediction in an equation that adds together the predictive power of
each identified variable.
3. Ex-Post Facto Research Design - These are non-experimental designs that are used to investigate
causal relationships. They examine whether one or more pre - existing conditions could possibly
have caused subsequent differences in groups of subjects. Researchers attempt to discover
whether differences between groups have results in an observed difference in the independent
variables. (www.genesep.edu/esham/educ.604/research.pdf).
Examples: What is the effect of home schooling on the social skills of adolescents?
4. Comparative design - involves comparing and contrasting two or more samples of study subjects
on one or more variables, often at a single point of time. Specifically, this design is used to
compare two distinct 'groups on the basis of selected attributes such as knowledge l evel,
perceptions, and attitudes, physical or psychological symptoms. For example, a comparative
study on the health problems among rural and urban older people from district Mehsana, Gujarat.
(www.dryayeshpatidat.blogspot.com)
5. Evaluative Research - seeks to assess or judge in some way providing information about
something other than might be gleaned in mere observation or investigation of relationships.
For example, where a test of children in school is used to assess the effectiveness of teaching or
the deployment of a curriculum.
(changingminds.org/explanations/research/design/evaluativeresearch.htm).
Evaluation research is conducted to elicit useful feedback from a variety of respondents from
various fields to aid in decision making or policy formulation.
There are various types of evaluation depending on the purpose of the study. Formative and
summative evaluation types are most commonly used in research.
Formative evaluation is used to determine the quality of implementation of a project, the
efficiency and effectiveness of a program, assessment of organizational processes like
 procedures, policies, guidelines, human resource development and the like.
6. Methodological - in this approach, the implementation of a variety of methodologies forms a
critical part of achieving the goal of developing a scale -matched approach, where data from
different disciplines can be integrated.