Quantitative Research
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- Leigh A. Wilson 2 , 3
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Quantitative research methods are concerned with the planning, design, and implementation of strategies to collect and analyze data. Descartes, the seventeenth-century philosopher, suggested that how the results are achieved is often more important than the results themselves, as the journey taken along the research path is a journey of discovery. High-quality quantitative research is characterized by the attention given to the methods and the reliability of the tools used to collect the data. The ability to critique research in a systematic way is an essential component of a health professional’s role in order to deliver high quality, evidence-based healthcare. This chapter is intended to provide a simple overview of the way new researchers and health practitioners can understand and employ quantitative methods. The chapter offers practical, realistic guidance in a learner-friendly way and uses a logical sequence to understand the process of hypothesis development, study design, data collection and handling, and finally data analysis and interpretation.
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School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Leigh A. Wilson
Faculty of Health Science, Discipline of Behavioural and Social Sciences in Health, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW, Australia
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Wilson, L.A. (2019). Quantitative Research. In: Liamputtong, P. (eds) Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5251-4_54
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Published : 13 January 2019
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Mixed-methods research is a flexible approach, where the research design is determined by what we want to find out rather than by any predetermined epistemological position. In mixed-methods research, qualitative or quantitative components can predominate, or both can have equal status. 1.4. Units and variables.
3.0. Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research Over the years, debate and arguments have been going on with regard to the appropriateness of qualitative or quantitative research approaches in conducting social research. Robson (2002, p43) noted that there has been a paradigm war between constructivists and positivists.
Controlled collection and analysis of information in order to understand a phenomenon. Originates with a question, a problem, a puzzling fact. Requires both theory and data. Previous theory helps us form an understanding of the data we see (no blank slate). Data lets us tests our hypotheses.
An important part of quantitative research is to measureconcepts, in order to see how they operate in social reality. In order to be measured, the concepts must first be converted into measurable indicators, such as survey questions. The process of converting the concepts into indicators is called operationalization.
Quantitative research is an inquiry into an identified problem, based on testing a theory, measured with numbers, and analyzed using statistical techniques. The goal of quantitative methods is to determine whether the predictive generalizations of a theory hold true. By contrast, a study based upon a qualitative process of inquiry has the goal ...
Quantitative research explains phenomena by collecting numerical unchanging d etailed data t hat. are analyzed using mathematically based methods, in particular statistics that pose questions of ...
Abstract. The aim of th is study i s to e xplicate the quanti tative methodology. The study established that. quantitative research de als with quantifying and analyzing variables in o rder to get ...
The following definition, taken from Aliaga and Gunderson (2002), describes what we mean by quantitative research methods very well: Quantitative research is 'Explaining phenomena by collecting numeri- cal data that are analysed using mathematically based methods (in particular statistics).'. Let's go through this definition step by step.
INTRODUCTION. Scientific research is usually initiated by posing evidenced-based research questions which are then explicitly restated as hypotheses.1,2 The hypotheses provide directions to guide the study, solutions, explanations, and expected results.3,4 Both research questions and hypotheses are essentially formulated based on conventional theories and real-world processes, which allow the ...
2.0 Quantitative Research. Quantitative research is regarded as the organized inquiry about phenomenon through collection. of numer ical data and execution of statistical, mathematical or ...
An emphasis on collecting and analyzing information in the form of numbers. An emphasis on collecting scores that measure distinct attributes of individuals and organizations. An emphasis on the procedures of comparing groups or relating factors about individuals or groups in experiments, correlational studies, and surveys.
Quantitative research methods are concerned with the planning, design, and implementation of strategies to collect and analyze data. Descartes, the seventeenth-century philosopher, suggested that how the results are achieved is often more important than the results themselves, as the journey taken along the research path is a journey of discovery. . High-quality quantitative research is ...
a. Section 1 introduces the central challenges of quantitative empirical analysis in political science, and offers some overviews of one promising approach to tackling these challenges. b. Section 2 starts this thusly-organized tour of quantitative empirical-research methodology from the starting point of all empirical analysis: measurement.
or quantitative values. 3 2 Descriptive Statistics Descriptive statistics are often used to describe variables. Descriptive statis-tics are performed by analyzing one variable at a time (univariate analysis). All researchers perform these descriptive statistics before beginning any type of data analysis.
need to quantify data. Since then quantitative research has dominated the western cultural as the research method to create new knowledge. This method was originally developed in the natural sciences to study natural phenomena [Williams, 2007]. In quantitative research, a variable is a factor that can be controlled or changed in an
Revised on June 22, 2023. Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations. Quantitative research is the opposite of qualitative research, which involves collecting and analyzing ...
tion of the findings of well-conducted quality research studies. So being able to critique quantitative research is an important skill for nurses. Consideration must be given not only to the results of the study but also the rigour of the research. Rigour refers to the extent to which the researchers worked to enhance the quality of the studies.
This section delves into research quantitative design. The quantitative research design procedures employed in the social sciences, natural sciences, and many other domains for gathering and ...
Advantages of Quantitative Research. Quantitative researchers aim to create a general understanding of behavior and other phenomena across different settings and populations. Quantitative studies are often fast, focused, scientific and relatable. 4. The speed and efficiency of the quantitative method are attractive to many researchers.
The. quantitative research methods in education emphasise basic group designs. for research and evaluation, analytic metho ds for exploring re lationships. between categorical and continuous ...
tive research—research that traditionally does not. include numbers and statistical figures, or "count" data. The purpose of this tool is to provide an overview of. what health education and ...