Quantitative Research Essay - 1294 Words

Quantitative Research Quantitative research is based on statements such as anything that exists exists in a certain quantity and can be measured. While Thorndike’s statement from 1904 appears to be fairly innocent and direct, it staked an important philosophical position that has persisted in social science research throughout most to this century. (Custer, 1996, p. 3). In 1927, William F. Ogburn successfully lobbied to have Lord Kelvin’s motto: When you cannot measure, your knowledge is meager and unsatisfactory prominently and permanently carved onto the face of the University of Chicago’s social science research building. In this decade, however, the competing paradigms of quantitative and qualitative research have become†¦show more content†¦Qualitative methods, on the other hand, are appropriate when the phenomena under study are complex, are social in nature, and do not lend themselves to quantification (Liebscher, 1998, p. 669). Quantitative research is based primarily on positivistic thought and qualitative research is more constructivist in theory. Until recently, the strict scientific methods employed by quantitative analysis have been considered the best way to conduct any meaningful research. The positivist notion that qualitative data is inherently untrustworthy and therefore to be avoided is untenable. Arguments are advanced to support the view that social research is based on ‘qualitative knowing’ and that quantification extends, refines, and cross-checks qualitative knowledge (Howe, 1985, p. 10). In other words, current thought holds that the two paradigms are not mutually exclusive and could very well support each other in most social science inquiry. To disparage qualitative data as subjective is to accuse it of having high fallibility; to laud the objectivity of quantitative data is to construe it as having low fallibility (Howe, 1985, p. 13). At first glance, quantitative data might appear to be uniformly superior. For example, There are x students in the classroom is an instance of quantifiable research. By contrast, observing the workings of a classroom in terms of the group dynamicsShow MoreRelatedQuantitative Research Methods For Research1077 Words   |  5 PagesQuantitative research methods are typically concerned with measuring criminological or criminal justice reality. There are a number of different quantitative research methods available to researchers, most of which fall under the rubric of a research design, which can be defined as the plan for a study that includes the exploratory, descriptive, explanatory and evaluative of an investigation. Purpose of exploratory research is to identify context, issues and concerns whereas descriptive is to provideRead MoreQuantitative Research : Data Collection1527 Words   |  7 PagesQuantitative research involves the collection and converting of data in numerical form to enable statistical calculations be made and conclusions drawn. It provides a measure of how people think, feel or behave and uses the statistical analysis to determine the results. However, this measurement result in numbers, or data, being collected, which is then analyzed by using quantitative research methods (Byrne, 2007). In quantitative research, data collection involves the gathering of informationRead MoreQuantitative And Qualitative Research Methods871 Words   |  4 PagesWith sociology, researchers can use a different range of research methods to acquire new data. The various forms of research methods include surveys, ethnomethodology, experiments and documentary research. A common distinction is often made in sociology between quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative methods intend to measure social phenomena by using mathematical methods and statistical analysis. On the other hand, qualitative methods mean to collect rich, detailed data, allowingRead MoreComparing Quantitative and Qualitative Research1586 Words   |  7 PagesCOMPARING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Social theory is a â€Å"system of interconnected ideas that condenses and organises the knowledge about the social world and explains how it works† (Neuman, 2006, p.8) and for many years scientists have gathered data using specialised techniques such as Quantative and Qualitative research to support or reject these theories. Quantitative research â€Å"generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers,† (Experiment Resources, 2009,Read MoreQuantitative Research : Data Collection1562 Words   |  7 Pages Quantitative research involves the collection and converting of data in numerical form to enable statistical calculations be made and conclusions drawn. It provides a measure of how people think, feel or behave and uses the statistical analysis to determine the results. However, this measurement result in numbers, or data, being collected, which is then analyzed by using quantitative research methods (Byrne, 2007). In quantitative research, data collection involves the gathering of informationRead MoreMethodology And Methods Of Quantitative Research1627 Words   |  7 Pagesaim is to give an outlined loom of how to extract and collects the grouped primary research data by way of responding to the research topic in the most appropriate manner. Notions and philosophies that emphasize the right procedures are taken into account in the way of effecting judicious methodology. The methodology area identifies, clarifies and explains the approaches that will be taken to lead primary research and confirms any misunderstanding, or contradicts what has been discovered in the literatureRead MoreComparative Research On Quantitative Research1065 Words   |  5 Pagesthat is utilized in this study is a quantitative method. This method was chosen in order for the researcher to see the statistical side of the data collected. â€Å"Quantitative research also called â€Å"empirical research,† refer s to any research based on something that can be accurately and precisely measured.† (Nursing Resources: Qualitative VS. Quantitative, 2017). Within the study of the quantitative method was casual-comparative research. Casual-comparative research tends to identify how different groupsRead MoreQuantitative And Quantitative Research Methods1520 Words   |  7 PagesResearch is a process that is systematic and gathers, analyzes and interprets data collected about a specific subject with the objective of better understanding and meeting a goal (Leedy Ormond, 2010). Before initiating the research process the researchers need to have a clear understanding of the question and the goal of what is going to be studied or investigated. The development of a plan designed with specific methods needs to be included to acquire relevant data. The research should be guidedRead MoreResearch Methods Of Quantitative Research1087 Words   |  5 Pages Week 2 Assignment Adam Morrison PSY 326 Research Methods Jessica Lee Qualitative researchers are focused on interpreting and making sense out of what they observe rather than trying to simplify and quantify these observations by collecting and observing people, places and things in their natural setting. In doing this, researchers are able to investigate hypothesis with more freedom and rigidity while accepting the fact that they relinquish their ability to control direct and indirectRead MoreQualitative Research : Quantitative Research Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesQualitative research is a kind of of scientific research which consists of an analysis that look for answers to a question, systematically uses a specific procedures to answer the question, gathers evidence, generate findings that are legit farther the limits of the study. Qualitative research has these characteristics. As an addition, it looks for to analyze the research problem or motif from the aspect of the local people who involves the study. Qualitative research is particularly e ffective