Nature of quantitative research

1. QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH: ITS
DEFINITION, TYPES,
PURPOSES, &
GOALS

2. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Quantitative research, according to Aliaga and
Gunderson, (2000), is “explaining phenomena by
collecting numerical data that are analyzed using
mathematically based methods (in particular statistics).
This type of research utilizes numbers and
statistical analysis. It is ideal in studying phenomenon
which must contend with the problems of
measurement.

3. CHRACTERISTICS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
1. Large Sample Size. To obtain more meaningful statistical
result, the data must come from a large sample size.
2. Objectivity. Data gathering and analysis of results are
done accurately, objectively, and are unaffected by the
researcher’s intuition and personal guesses.
3. Concise Visual Presentation. Data is numerical which
makes presentation through graphs, charts, and tables
possible and with better conveyance and interpretation.
4. Faster Data Analysis. The use of a statistical tools
gives way for a less time consuming data analysis.
5. Generalized Data. Data taken from a sample can be
applied to the population if sampling is done accordingly,
i.e., sufficient size and random samples were taken.
6. Fast and Easy Data Collection. Depending on the type
of data needed, collection can be quick and easy.
7. Reliable Data. Data is taken and analyzed objectively
from a sample as a representative of the population, making
it more credible and reliable for policymaking and decision
making.
8. High Replicability. The Quantitative method can be
repeated to verify findings enhancing its validity, free from
false or immature conclusions.

4. ADVANTAGES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
1. It allows the researcher to measure and analyze the data to arrive at an objective
answer to the problem post or stated.
2. The result is reliable since the study uses a big sample of the population.
3. Standards are usually used in choosing the instruments, in sampling procedures, and
in choosing the most appropriate statistical treatment, thus making the research
replicable.
4. Personal biases can be avoided since personal interaction is not part of the research
process.
5. Process involved are simplified since the steps in doing quantitative research are made
easy and systematic.
6. Results can be reduced through statistical treatments and interpreted in a few
statements.

5. DISADVANTAGES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
1. The context of the study or the experiment is ignored in such a way that it does not
consider the natural setting where the study is conducted.
2. Having a large study sample requires researchers to spend more resources.
3. Results are limited since they are usually based on the analysis of numbers and are not
obtained from detailed narratives.
4. It provides less elaborate accounts of human perception.
5. In experimental research, the level of control might not be normally placed in the real
world because it is usually done in a laboratory.
6. Preset or fixed alternative answers may not necessarily reflect the true answers of the
participants.
7. Findings can be influenced by the researcher’s perspective since most of the time, the
participants are unknown to him/her.

6. Kinds of Quantitative Research