This document discusses quantitative research approaches, including research methodology, designs, and types. It covers qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies. For research designs, it describes descriptive, correlational, causal-comparative/quasi-experimental, experimental, and mixed designs. The key differences between true experiments and quasi-experiments are also summarized.

1. +
Topic 5
Approaches in Quantitative Research
Prepared by
Dr.Yasmin Sultana-Muchindu

2. +
Overview
 Research Methodology
 Research designs
 Qualitative research design
 Quantitative research design
 Mixed research design
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

4. +What is Research Methodology?
 A research methodology encompasses the way in
which you intend to carry out your research.This
includes how you plan to tackle things like collection
methods, statistical analysis, participant observations,
and more.
 You can think of your research methodology as being a
formula. One part will be how you plan on putting your
research into practice and another will be why you feel
this is the best way to approach it.Your research
methodology is ultimately a methodological and
systematic plan to resolve your research problem.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

5. +Why do you need a research methodology?
 The purpose of a research methodology is to explain the
reasoning behind your approach to your research - you'll
need to support your collection methods, methods of
analysis, and other key points of your work.
 Think of it like writing a plan or an outline for you what you
intend to do.
 When carrying out research, it can be easy to go off-track or
depart from your standard methodology.
 Having a methodology keeps you accountable and on
track with your original aims and objectives, and gives you a
suitable and sound plan to keep your research project
manageable, smooth, and effective.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

6. + Types of Methodologies
There are THREE different types of
methodologies and they are distinguished by
whether they focus on words, numbers, or
both.
 Qualitative
 Quantitative
 Mixed
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

7. + Qualitative Methodology
 Qualitative research is a process of collecting and analyzing
both words and textual data.
 This form of research methodology is sometimes used where
the aim and objective of the research are used where you are
trying to understand and explain human.
 Instruments: Questionnaire (open-ended questions),
Observations, interviews/focus groups.
 Validity:Triangulation
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

8. + Quantitative Methodology
 This methodology focuses more on measuring and testing
numerical data.
 When using this form of research, your objective will
usually be to explain something.
 Instruments: Surveys, Questionnaire (Close-ended
questions)
 Validity: Cronbach’s Alpha (α)
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

9. + Mixed Methodology
 A mixed-method approach combines both of the above
approaches.
 The quantitative approach will provide you with some
definitive facts and figures, whereas the qualitative
methodology will provide your research with an interesting
human aspect.
 Instruments: Questionnaire, Observations,interviews/focus
groups
 Validity:Triangulation and Cronbach’s Alpha ((α)
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

10. + What is Research Design?
 Fred N Kerlinger (2018) : Research design is the
plan, structure of investigation conceived so as to
obtain answers to research questions and to
control variance.
 Bernard Philips (2016): Research design is a blue
print for the collection, measurement and analysis
of data.”
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

11. + Types of Qualitative Research Designs:
 Phenomenological Studies
 Ethnographic Studies
 Grounded Theory Studies
 Historical Studies
 Case Studies
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12. +
 Descriptive,
 Correlational,
 Causal-Comparative/Quasi-Experimental, and
 Experimental
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu
Types of Qualitative Research Designs:

13. + Descriptive research design
 Descriptive research seeks to describe the current status
of an identified variable.
 These research projects are designed to provide
systematic information about a phenomenon.
 The analysis and synthesis of the data provide the test of
the hypothesis.
 Systematic collection of information requires careful
selection of the units studied and careful measurement of
each variable.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

14. +
Examples of Descriptive Research:
 A description of trends and patterns of regional
development
 A description of the factors of growing mental
health issues among employees in service based
industries
 A description of the impact of digitalization on tax
transparency
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

15. + Correlational Research
 Correlational research attempts to determine the extent of a relationship
between two or more variables using statistical data.
 In this type of design, relationships between and among a number of facts are
sought and interpreted.
 This type of research will recognize trends and patterns in data, but it does not
go so far in its analysis to prove causes for these observed patterns.
 Cause and effect is not the basis of this type of observational research.The data,
relationships, and distributions of variables are studied only.Variables are not
manipulated; they are only identified and are studied as they occur in a natural
setting.
*Sometimes correlational research is considered a type of descriptive research,
and not as its own type of research, as no variables are manipulated in the study.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

16. +
Examples of Correlational Research:
 The relationship between emotional
intelligence and job performance
 The relationship between diet and anxiety
 The relationship between OCB and job
performance
 The covariance of FOREX and construction
cost
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

17. + Causal-comparative/ Quasi- experimental
research
 Causal-comparative/quasi- experimental research
attempts to establish cause- effect relationships among the
variables.
 These types of design are very similar to true experiments,
but with some key differences.
 An independent variable is identified but not manipulated by
the experimenter, and effects of the independent variable on
the dependent variable are measured.
 The researcher does not randomly assign groups and must
use ones that are naturally formed or pre-existing groups.
Identified control groups exposed to the treatment variable
are studied and compared to groups who are not.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

18. +
Examples of Causal-comparative/quasi- experimental
research:
 The effect of corporate social responsibility on
sustainable development
 The effect of performance evaluation on workers
productivity
 The effect of Emotional intelligence of project
managers on project outcomes
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

19. + Experimental Research
 Experimental research, often called true experimentation,
uses the scientific method to establish the cause-effect
relationship among a group of variables that make up a
study.
 An independent variable is manipulated to determine the
effects on the dependent variables.
 Subjects are randomly assigned to experimental
treatments rather than identified in naturally occurring
groups.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

20. +
Examples of Experimental Research:
 The effect of employee engagement on
customer loyalty in service based industry
 The effect of employee involvement in
decision making on employee productivity
 The effect of Supervision on project
completion
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

21. + Differences between quasi-experiments and
True experiments
 There are several common differences between true
and quasi-experimental designs
True experimental design Quasi-experimental design
Assignment to
treatment
The researcher randomly assigns
subjects to control and treatment
groups
Some other, non-random method is used
to assign subjects to groups
Control over
treatment
The researcher usually designs the
treatment and decides which
subjects receive it.
The researcher often does not have
control over the treatment, but instead
studies pre-existing groups that receive
different treatments after the fact.
Use of control
groups
Requires the use of control and
treatment groups
Control groups are not required.
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

22. + Types of Mixed Research Designs:
 Sequential explanatory
 Sequential exploratory
 Sequential transformative
 Concurrent triangulation
 Concurrent nested
 Concurrent transformative
 Parallel-Convergent design
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu

23. +
End of the Topic
Prepared by Dr. Yasmin Muchindu