LECTURE 1: CHARACTERISTICS, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

WHAT IS RESEARCH?

 Research is the process of discovering new knowledge. This knowledge can be either the
development of new concepts or the advancement of existing knowledge and theories, leading
to a new understanding that was not previously known.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

• An inquiry into a social or human problem, based on testing a theory composed of variables,
measured with numbers, and analyzed with statistical procedures (Creswell 1994).

• Empirical research where the data are in the forms of numbers (Punch 1998).

• The collection of numerical data in order to explain, predict and/or control phenomena of interest
(Gay & Airasian 2000).

• Since Quantitative Research uses numbers and figures to denote a particular thing, this kind of
research tend to exclude your own thoughts and feelings about the subject or object. This is why
Quantitative Research is described as Objective Research in contrast to qualitative research that
is subjective.

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

1. It is reliable and objective.

2. It uses statistics to generalize findings.

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

4. It looks at the connections between variables and establishes cause and effect relationships in
highly controlled circumstances.

5. It test theories or hypotheses.

6. It assumes that the sample is representative of the population.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Strengths

1. Generalizability
• Allows for a broader study, involving a greater number of subjects, and enhancing the
generalization of the results.
2. Objectivity and Accuracy
• Allows for greater objectivity and accuracy of results. Quantitative methods are designed
to provide summaries of data that support generalizations about the phenomenon under
study. It usually involves few variables and many cases and employs prescribed
procedures to ensure validity and reliability.
• Personal bias can be avoided by keeping a 'distance' from participating subjects and using
accepted computational techniques.
 3. Replicability
• Applying well-established standards means that the research can be replicated, and then
analyzed and compared with similar studies.
• You can summarize vast sources of information and make comparisons across categories
and over time.
4. Effectiveness
• Data collection and analysis are effective and less time consuming when utilizing
quantitative research.
• Surveys and experiments are the major approaches to collect data which can then be
analyzed through statistical and computational tools with high efficiency and
effectiveness.

Weaknesses

1. Misses Contextual Details

 The context of the study or experiment is ignored in such a way that it does not consider
the natural setting where the study is conducted.
 Results provide less detail on behavior, attitudes, and motivation
 The researcher may collect a much narrower and sometimes superficial dataset.
 Preset answers will not necessarily reflect how people really feel about a subject and, in
some cases, might just be the closest match to the preconceived hypothesis.
2. Limited Results
 Results are limited as they provide numerical descriptions rather than detailed narratives
and generally provide less elaborate accounts of human perception.
 The research is often carried out in an unnatural, artificial environment so that a level of
control can be applied to the exercise. This level of control might not normally be in place
in the real world thus yielding "laboratory results" as opposed to "real-world results".
3. Inflexible
 Uses a static and rigid approach and so employs an inflexible process of discovery.
4. Structural bias
 The development of standard questions by researchers can lead to "structural bias" and
false representation, where the data actually reflects the view of the researcher instead
of the participating subject.