PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2 – QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Research can be divided into broad categories of qualitative and quantitative research and a number of
approaches can be identified, some of which are action research, ethnographic study, case study,
experimental and participatory research. These two categories stem from different philosophical
assumptions. These assumptions shape the ways researchers look at problems and analyze gathered
data. Over time, a new methodology came to the field resulting in the mixed methods which combine
both quantitative & qualitative methods in the same study. It is believed that this combine method
provides a more complete explanation of the research findings than using one method alone. However,
it should be noted that the mixed method does not simply collect and analyze both kinds of data but
combine the two methods which can be greater than either qualitative and quantitative research. You
should be guided by appropriateness when making the choice for the basis of the method, whether you
choose qualitative, quantitative or mixed method.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative research is more often associated with hard data. This research is used to quantify
– that is to put numerical equivalents to findings. This type of research is not limited to mathematics.
Although Math and Statistics are just the means used, attitudes, opinions and behaviors and other
defined variables and generalize results from a large sample of populations. It discusses the quantitative
relation between the participant/s and the researcher. By definition, quantitative research is an
objective, systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena through the use of
computational techniques. It highlights numerical analysis of data hoping that the numbers yield
unbiased results that can be generalized to some larger population. Simply, quantitative research
concerned with numbers and its relationship with events.

Characteristics of Quantitative Research

1. Objective. Quantitative research seeks accurate measurement and analysis of target concepts. It
is not based on mere intuitions and guesses. Data are gathered before proposing a conclusion or
solution to a problem.
2. Clearly Defined Research Questions. In quantitative research, the researches know in advance
what they are looking for. The research questions are well defined for which objective answers
are sought. All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data are gathered.
3. Structured Research Instruments. Data are normally gathered using structured research tools
such as questionnaires to collect measurable characteristics of the population like age, socio-
economic status, number of children, among others.
4. Numerical Data. Data are in the form of numbers and statistics, often organized and presented
using tables, charts, graphs and figures that consolidate large numbers of data to show trends,
relationships, or differences among variables.
5. Large Sample Sizes. To arrive at a more reliable data analysis, a normal population distribution
curve is preferred. This requires a large sample size, depending on how the characteristics of the
population vary. Random sampling is recommended in determining the sample size to avoid
researcher’s bias in interpreting the results.
 6. Replication. Reliable qualitative studies can be repeated to verify or confirm the correctness of
the results in another setting. This strengthens the validity of the findings thus eliminating the T
7. Future Outcomes. Bu using complex mathematical calculations and with the aid of computers, if
-then scenarios may be formulated thus predicting future results.

Strengths of Quantitative Research

The advantages of quantitative research include:
1. It is objective. Since it provides numerical data, it can’t be easily misinterpreted.
2. The use of statistical techniques facilitates sophisticated analysis and allows you to comprehend
huge amount of vital characteristics of data
3. The numerical data can be analyzed in a quick and easy way. By employing statistically valid
random

models, findings can be generalized to the population about which information is necessary.
4. Quantitative studies are replicable. Standardized approaches allow the study to be replicated in
different areas or over time with the formulation of comparable findings

Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

The disadvantage of quantitative research are as follows:
1. Quantitative research requires a large number of respondents. It is assumed that the larger
the sample is, the more statistically accurate the findings are.
2. It is costly. Since there are more respondents compared to qualitative research, the
expenses will be expenses will be greater in reaching out to these people and in producing
the questionnaires.
3. The information contextual factors to help interpret the results or to explain variations are
usually ignored. It does not consider the distinct capacity of the respondents to share and
elaborate further information unlike the qualitative research.
4. Many information is difficult to gather using structured research instruments, specifically on
sensitive issues like pre-marital sex, domestic violence, among others.
5. If not done seriously and correctly, data from questionnaires may be incomplete and
inaccurate. Research must be on the look out on respondents who are just guessing in
answering the instrument.

Kinds of Quantitative Research

The kind of research is dependent on the researcher’s aim in conducting the study and the
extent to which the findings will be used. The following are the various kinds of quantitative
research that a researcher may employ:
1. Descriptive Research. This design is concerned with describing the nature,
characteristics and components of the population or a phenomenon. There is no
manipulation of variables or search for cause and effect related to phenomenon. This
design attempts to find general attributes of the presently existing situation and
determine the frequency with which it occurs. Descriptive research is used if, for
example, you want to know how many hours senior high school students spend in social
 media, the number of malnourished students who failed in the achievement test, and
how healthy is the food served during recess in the public schools.
2. Correlational Research. It is the systematic investigation of the nature of relationships,
or associations between and among variables without necessarily investigating into
casual reasons underlying them. It is also concerned with the extent of relationships
that exists between or among the variables. For example, if pre-board examination
results can be used to predict performance in the Licensure Examination for Teachers
(LET), then the higher the pre-board grade, the higher most likely be the score in the
LET. Correlational research is employed if you like to know, for example, if the following
factors are related to each other: sex and mathematically ability, marriage and cancer
recovery, occupation and life span.
3. Evaluation Research. This kind of research aim to assess the effects, impacts or
outcomes of practices, policies or programs. Assessing the implementation of nursing
care in a hospital and determining the impact of a new treatment procedure for patients
are examples of evaluation research.
4. Survey Research. A survey research is used to gather information from groups of people
by selecting and studying samples chosen from a population. It may be done in various
ways like face to face, phone, mail and online. A survey research may be cross-sectional
if the information is collected from a sample in just single point in time just like the
child-rearing practices of single parents, and population control practices of unmarried
couples. A survey research is considered longitudinal if the research collects information
on the same subjects over a period of time, sometimes lasting many years in order to
study the changes through the years. Longitudinal survey is utilized, for example, to
determine the five years after earning the degree.
5. Casual-Comparative Research. It is also known as ex post facto (after the fact) research.
This kind of research derives conclusion from observation variables. It discusses why and
how a phenomenon occurs. For example, a researcher is interested in how weight
influences stress-coping level of adults, Here, the subject would be separated into
different groups (underweight, normal weight, overweight) and their stress-coping
levels measured. This is an ex post facto design because a pre-existing characteristics
(weight) was used to form the groups.
6. Experimental Research. This research utilizes scientific method to test cause-and-effect
relationships under conditions controlled by the researcher. In this case an effort is
made to determine and impose control over all other variables except one. An
independent variable is manipulated to determine the effects on the dependent
variables.
7. Variables. One of the aspects of research is to describe and explain variables. A variable
is a central concept in research. It is a measurable characteristic that changes in value. It
may vary from one group to another group, one person to another or even with the
same person over time. A variable is anything that may assume varied numerical or
categorical value.

Types of Variable - Continuous and Discrete Variables

 A variable that can take infinite number on the value that can occur within a
population is known as continuous variable. Its value can be divided into fractions.
Examples of this type of variable include age, height, and temperature. Discrete
variable or also known as categorical or classificatory variable, on the other hand, is
any variable that has a limited number of distinct values and which cannot be
divided into fraction like sex, blood group, and number of children in the family.
Simply, your age can be 17.5 years old so it is a continuous variable but your parents
cannot have 4.5 children so it is a discrete variable.
A. Continuous variable can be further categorized as either interval or ratio variables:
A1. Interval variable is a measurement where the difference between two values does
have meaning. The difference between a temperature of 60 degree and 50 degrees is the
same difference as between 30 degrees and 20 degrees. The interval between values makes
sense and can be interpreted.
A2. Ratio variable possesses the properties of interval variable and has a clear definition of
zero, indication that there is none of that variable. Example of ratio variable include
height, weight, and distance. But temperature measured in degrees Celsius and degrees
Fahrenheit is not a ratio variable because 0 under these temperature scales does not
mean no temperature at all.
B. Discrete variables can be further categorized as nominal and ordinal:
B1. Nominal variable is a variable with no quantitative value. It has two or more categories
but does not imply ordering of cases. Common examples of this variable include eye
color, business type, and religion. A sub-type of nominal scale with only two categories
just like sex (e.g. male/female) is known as dichotomous.
B2. Ordinal variable is a variable that has two or more categories which can be ranked. If
you asked people if they liked listening to music while studying and they could answer either
“Not very much “, “Much” or “Very Much” then you have an ordinal variable. While we can
rank them, we cannot place a value to them. In this type, distance between attribute do not
have any meaning. For example, you used educational attainment as a variable on a survey,
you might code elementary school graduate=1, high school graduate=2, college
undergraduate=3, and college graduate =4. In this measure, higher number means greater
education. Even though we can rank these from lowest to highest, the spacing between the
values may not be the same across the levels of the variables. The distance between 3 and 4 is
not the same with the distance between 1 and 2.

A. Dependent and Independent Variables

In a typical study, the researcher starts with an effect and investigates on its
possible causes. The cause variable or the one responsible for the conditions that act
on something else to bring about changes is the independent variable. Dependent
variable also called outcome variable and is the result or effect of the changes
brought about by another variable (usually independent variable).