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NUST Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (NIPCONS)

MAS Dept

Defining Futures

7th Semester
Research Methodology
RM – 4
Quantitative Research Methods

Sponsor: Brig Aslam Rana (Retd)

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QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative Research

1. In natural and social sciences, and maybe in other fields, quantitative

research is the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via
statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques. The objective of
quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories,
and hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is
central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental
connection between empirical observation and mathematical expressionof
quantitative relationships.
2. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics,
percentages, etc. The researcher analyses the data with the help of statistics and
hopes the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to some
larger population. Qualitative research, on the other hand, inquires deeply into
specific experiences, with the intention of describing and exploring meaning through
text, narrative, or visual-based data, by developing themes exclusive to that set of
participants.
3. Quantitative research is used in psychology,
demography, sociology, marketing, community health, health & human development,
gender studies, and political science; and less frequently in anthropology and history.
Research in mathematical sciences, such as physics, is also "quantitative" by
definition, though this use of the term differs in context. In the social sciences, the
term relates to empirical methods originating in both
philosophical positivism and the history of statistics, in contrast
with qualitative research methods.
4. Qualitative research produces information only on the particular cases
studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses. Quantitative
methods can be used to verify which of such hypotheses are true. A comprehensive
analysis of 1274 articles published in the top two American sociology journals
between 1935 and 2005 found that roughly two thirds of these articles used
quantitative method.
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5. Quantitative research is generally closely affiliated with ideas from 'the

scientific method', which can include:-

(a) The generation of models, theories and hypotheses.

(b) The development of instruments and methods for measurement.
(c) Experimental control and manipulation of variables.
(d) Collection of empirical data.
(e) Modeling and analysis of data.
6. Quantitative research is mostly conducted in the social sciences using the
statistical methods used above to collect quantitative data from the research study.
In this research method, researchers and statisticians deploy mathematical
frameworks and theories that pertain to the quantity under question.Quantitative
research templates are objective, elaborate, and many times, even investigational.
The results achieved from this research method are logical, statistical, and
unbiased. Data collection happened using a structured method and conducted on
larger samples that represent the entire population.

Quantitative Research Methods

7. As mentioned above, quantitative research is data-oriented. There are two

methods to conduct quantitative research:-

a. Primary Quantitative Research Methods. There are four different

types of quantitative research methodsthisis the most widely used
method of conducting market research. The distinct feature of primary
research is that the researcher focuses on collecting data directly
rather than depending on data collected from previously done
research. Primary quantitative research can be broken down into three
further distinctive tracks, as well as the process flow. There are multiple
types of primary quantitative research. They can be distinguished into
the four following distinctive methods, which are; Survey Research,
Corelational Research, Casual Comparative Research and
Experimental Research.
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8. Secondary Quantitative Research Methods Secondary quantitative

research or desk research is a research method that involves using already existing
data or secondary data. Existing data is summarized and collated to increase the
overall effectiveness of research.This research method involves the collection
of quantitative data from existing data sources like the internet, government
resources, libraries, research reports, etc. Secondary quantitative research helps to
validate the data that is collected from primary quantitative research as well as aid in
strengthening or proving or disproving previously collected data. Following are five
popularly used secondary quantitative research methods:
a. Data available on the Internet: With the high penetration of internet
and mobile devices, it has become increasingly easy to conduct
quantitative research using the internet. Information about most research
topics is available online, and this aids in boosting the validity of
primary quantitative data as well as proving the relevance on previously
collected data.
b. Government and Non-Government Sources: Secondary quantitative
research can also be conducted with the help of government and non-
government sources that deal with market research reports. This data is
highly reliable and in-depth and hence, can be used to increase the
validity of quantitative research.
c. Public Libraries: Now a sparingly used method of conducting
quantitative research, it is still a reliable source of information though.
Public libraries have copies of important research that were conducted
earlier. They are a storehouse of valuable information and documents
from which information can be extracted.
d. Educational institutions: Educational institutions conduct in-
depth research on multiple topics, and hence, the reports that they publish
are an important source of validation in quantitative research.
e. Commercial Information Sources: Local newspapers, journals,
magazines, radio, and TV stations are a great source to obtain data for
secondary quantitative research. These commercial information sources
have in-depth, first-hand information on economic developments, political
agenda, market research, demographic segmentation, and similar
subjects.
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9. Advantages of Quantitative Research There are many advantages of

quantitative research. Some of the major advantages why researchers use this
method in market research are:
a. Collect reliable and accurate data: As data is collected, analyzed,
and presented in numbers, the results obtained will be extremely
reliable. Numbers do not lie. They offer an honest picture of the
conducted research without discrepancies and is also extremely
accurate. In situations where a researcher predicts conflict, quantitative
research is conducted.
b. Quick data collection: A quantitative research is carried out with a
group of respondents who represent a population. A survey or any
other quantitative research method applied to these respondents and
the involvement of statistics, conducting, and analyzing results is quite
straightforward and less time-consuming.
c. Wider scope of data analysis: Due to the statistics, this research
method provides a wide scope of data collection.
d. Eliminate bias: This research method offers no scope for personal
comments or biasing of results. The results achieved are numerical
and are thus, fair in most cases.

QUESTIONNAIRE TD RM - 4

Q – 1. What are quantitative methods of research?

Q – 2. What are advantages and disadvantages of quantitative methods?

Q – 3. What are characteristics of quantitative research?

Q – 4. What are secondary quantitative methods?

Q – 5. What are primary quantitative methods? What data collection methodologies

are used in primary quantitative methods?
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REFERENCES FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Goertzen, Melissa J. (2017). "Introduction to Quantitative Research and

Data". Library Technology Reports. 53 (4): 12–18. ISSN 0024-2586.. Library
Technology Reports. 53 (4): 12–18. ISSN 0024-2586.
2. Hunter, Laura; Leahey, Erin (2008). "Collaborative Research in Sociology:
Trends and Contributing Factors". The American Sociologist. 39 (4): 290–
306. doi:10.1007/s12108-008-9042-1.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Open Courseware. 11.201
Gateway to the Profession of Planning, Fall 2010. p. 4.
4. Kuhn, Thomas S. (1961). "The Function of Measurement in Modern Physical
Science". Isis. 52 (2): 161–193 (162). doi:10.1086/349468. JSTOR 228678.
5. Kasim, R., Alexander, K. and Hudson, J. (2010). A choice of research
strategy for identifying community-based action skill requirements in the
process of delivering housing market renewal. Research Institute for the Built
and Human Environment, University of Salford, UK.
6. Mesly, Olivier (2015). Creating Models in Psychological Research. United
States: Springer Psychology: 126 pages. ISBN 978-3-319-15752-8

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