Nature of Inquiry and Research

There are many things you want to know in this world. Living and nonliving things including the
events – their nature or qualities make you wonder continuously, frequently or quickly.
Marveling at them, you put to continue yourself in a course of situation where you seem to be
grappling with di erent problems. Questions after questions on the di erent aspects of the
things of your curiosity prod you to move, act, or do something to nd answers to your
questions or to discover truths about your inferences or speculations on such thing. Behaving
like an investigator, asking and seeking answers, to some questions about the thing you nd
puzzling indicates the true nature of inquiry research. (Baraceros, 2017)

At the end of the topic the students should be able to:

1. Discuss the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and kinds of quantitative research;

2. Discuss the importance of quantitative research across the eld; and

3. Discuss the nature of variables.

Based on your knowledge and understanding. De ne the following words below.

a. Probe

b. Ponder c. Random d. Inquiry e. Research

The Characteristics, Strengths, Weaknesses and Kinds of Quantitative Research

Quantitative research makes you focus your mind on speci c things by means of statistics that
involve collection and study of numerical data. Thus, to give the basic meaning of quantitative
research is to say that research is a way of making any phenomenon or any sensory
experience clearer or more meaningful by gathering and examining facts and information about
such person, thing, place, or event appealing to your senses (Baraceros, 2017)

Since quantitative research uses numbers and gures to denote a particular thing, this kind of
research requires you to focus your full attention on the object of your study. This is why
quantitative research is described as objective research in contrast to qualitative research that
is subjective.

Course Module

The importance of quantitative research lies realty in the production of results that should
re ect precise measurement and an in-depth analysis of data. It is also useful in obtaining an
objective understanding of people, things, places, and events in this world; meaning, attaching
accurate or exact meanings to objects or subjects, rather than in ated meanings resulting from
the researcher’s bias or personal attachment to things related to the research.

Quantitative research is of two kinds:

a. Experimental – these are under this kind of research true experimental, quasi-experimental,
and single subject, and pre-experimental.

b. Non-experimental – on the other hand these are sub type survey, historical, observational,
correlational, descriptive, and comparative research

The Importance of Quantitative Research across the Field

1. More reliable and objective

2. Can use statistics to generalise a nding

3. Often reduces and restructures a complex problem to a limited number of

variables

4. Looks at relationships between variables and can establish cause and e ect in

highly controlled circumstances

5. Tests theories or hypotheses

6. Assumes sample is representative of the population

7. Subjectivity of researcher in methodology is recognised less

8. Less detailed than qualitative data and may miss a desired response from the

participant. (http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills/Introduction%20to%20Research%2
0and%20Managing%20Information%20Leicester/page_45.htm)

The Nature of Variables

Variables are “changing or characteristics” of persons or things like age, gender, intelligence,
ideas, achievements, con dence, and so on that are involved in your research study. Made up
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 of the root or base word “vary” which means undergo changes or to di er from, variables have
di erent or varying values in relation to time and situation. For instance, as years go by, your
age or intelligence increases. But placed in a situation where you are a icted with a disease or
have no means of reading or no access to any sources of knowledge, your intelligence tend to
decrease. (Sutter, 2013)
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