Document: Quantitative Project

Research Question: What is the probability that these wave conditions will happen in a
specific inner harbour shipping channel?

I am aware that wave conditions play a significant role in interrupting the dredging
operations when operating in the inner harbour shipping channel.

Undertaking quantitative research provides much focused scientific output to the problem
and aids to forecast the possibilities of further occurrence of the expected characteristics.

I assume that my qualitative projects will produce knowledge about the characteristics of
the wave conditions when dredging operations have to be interrupted

Various data required to find the probability of occurrence of particular wave conditions in a
specific channel is collected using various methods are given as follows:

Kinds of data: Method:

Wind data relevant to that area From Meteorological department covering
the area under consideration

Significant wave height and the periodicity Installation of tethered buoy fitted with a
of the waves double-integrating accelerometer.

Current and the tidal variations Installation of Acoustic Doppler Current

meter on the vessel and tide staff on a fixed
pole.
Direction of the wave and swell Installation of Bottom mounted pressure
sensitive wave direction recording device
A major weakness of quantitative research on probability of wave conditions happening on
specific inner harbour shipping channel is the low external validity of the research method.
External validity in a quantitative research is like that of transferability in qualitative
research. Here the major weakness is inefficiency of the research methodology to generalise
the results. That is, the result availed by doing the research on a vessel cannot be
transferred to another vessel in its class working in the same dredging field.

Various information collected during this research cannot be generalised to other vessels
working in similar environment. For example, the vessel is fitted with devices to capture the
parameters of waves encountered. The data recording devices are mounted onto a dredging
vessel operating in the specific area. As the dredging vessels varies in hull geometry and
method of operations, the data collected from one vessel is insufficient and results low in
external validity. The results from the research might be only applicable to the dredging
vessel having similar hull geometry.

Secondly, the effects of wind, waves and currents on dredging vessels depends on
combination of various factors such as orientation and geometry of the vessel. For example,
a large vessel lying beam-on position to the wind will have more effect compared to a
slender shaped vessel. Also, an experienced operator will position the vessel such that the
hydrodynamic conditions have less impact on the vessel state. Hence the observations
made through the mentioned methods may vary according to various settings the research
is carried out.

Lastly, the major weakness also includes the generalisability of research to other time
period. As the environmental conditions keep changing throughout the year, the research
findings done over a period cannot be completely transferred for future studies.
Ontological Assumptions about Quantitative Project:

1. Quantitative project is objective, that means it is studied based on testing a theory

measured with numbers and analysing statistical values where true experiments are
characterized. Here in this quantitative project researcher obtains the data related to
wave conditions in an inner harbour shipping channel by actual installation of
various devices. The data is collected in the form of numbers using the devices
installed on the vessel. The collected data is then used to prepare charts and
diagrams which helps to find the desired results.

2. The goal of any quantitative project is to develop generalizations that contribute to

theory and which enables the researcher to predict, explain and understand the
phenomenon. Here in this quantitative project the researcher explains about the
possibility and frequency of certain wave conditions confronted by the cutter section
dredger under the influence of hydrographic conditions when operating in the
specific inner harbour shipping channel, also he provides the practise of various
methods in order to contribute to his research theory.

The ontological assumptions about reality influences the major weakness exhibited
in this research methodology. As the goal of a quantitative research is to gather data
by doing research and generalizing the results into a larger group, hence predicting
their behaviour in the future. In this research methodology, various traits portrayed
by the vessel is been recorded under certain settings. The settings in the operations
includes the installation of recording devices on board as well as in the dredging
field, the environmental settings such as seabed topography and the position of
dredging relative to channel which is likely to get interfered due to vessel movement
in channel. While collecting data under such settings the probability of including
extraneous variables is high. Therefore, values obtained under those settings can be
only generalised to those vessels operating under similar conditions.