CHAPTER 1 - LESSON resources to polish the results.
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 relations hips 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 trends,
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 experiments 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
3. Quantitative methods also tend to turn out
only proved or unproven results, leaving 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 blueprint 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 nonexperimental 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
relationships 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 grou ps
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 a nd 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. Quasiexperimental
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 to 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 document
aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs and
sometimes to serve as a starting point for hypothesis
generation or theory development.
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 predictors? 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.
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
level, 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.
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.