Quantitative Research

Non-Experimental ---SURVEY
Experimental
CAUSE AND EFFECT
PRE-TEST/POST-TEST
LABORATORY
Quantitative Research
Survey- quantitative or numeric
description of some part of a population
A “sample” via questionnaire (if people are
involved)
Results enables researcher to generalize the
findings from a sample of responses.
Experimental- TESTS cause and effect
relationships between groups.
Researcher manipulates one or more
independent variables
Determines if manipulations cause an outcome
 Quantitative
Methods

Non
Non- probablity
Experimental Experimental

Sampling
Probability
Provides Selection, Random
numeric assignment selection
Size of Subjects and number of
description of Convenience
sample subjects
Survey some part of Sample
the population Random
Sampling

collected at Independent
cross one point in Variables
Survey sectional time
Design
Dependent

collected over
longitudinal a period of discuss
time Describe materials
Instrumentation instrument/s used to
and materials to be used in create
experiment treatment
Describe the
conditions
Population population
and Sample

single stage Overall

Describe the
sampling Design Provide
Design discussion diagram to
Design illustrate
multistage research
Specific use design
of
Independent
variables
What survey Self designed
instrument
used?
Validity
modified

Instrumentation Step-by-step
Reliability Procedure
Intact approach

Pilot Study/
testing

Describe Describe
descriptive inferential
Statistical statistics
Analysis statistics
calculated used to test
hypothesis

Variables in
Study

Data Analysis
Social Science (Sample) Surveys
When we “survey” something,
we inspect it in detail
A “social survey”, therefore, is
an inspection of a particular
society or part of society and a
collection of facts about that
society, institution or group
Social Surveys: History

Two developments in the early 20th century paved the way

for modern social science surveys:
Ideas underlying random sampling, used first in
agriculture, were applied to the collection of social facts
Techniques of structured interviewing, standardized
question wording
Social Surveys: 1930s-1940s

The 1930s: advent of modern survey research in the U.S.

(Gallup and Roper polls)
The Depression: Federal government sponsored research into
unemployment.
World War II: surveys were widely used to study war bond
purchases, troop morale, attitudes toward integration.
Social Surveys: 1960s-1970s

Several developments contributed to widespread use of

survey data:
development of high-speed computers for processing data
widespread ownership of phones made interviewing
easier
Results: business and government decisions increasingly
based on surveys
Survey Design
Provides a quantitative or
numeric description of some
fraction of the population - the
sample- through the data
collection process of asking
questions of people.
…..always “people”?
Typical Components of a Survey
Method Plan
Design
Population and Sample
Instrumentation
Variables in the Study
Data Analysis
Survey Design
Begin by reviewing the purpose of a
survey and the rationale for its selection
What is the purpose of survey research?
Indicate why a survey is the preferred type of
data collection.
Indicate whether the survey is cross-sectional
(collected at one point in time) or longitudinal(
collected over a period of time)
Specify the form of data collection - mail,
interview, and provide a rationale for the
procedure (cost, availablility, convenience)
Population and Sample
Specify the characteristics of the
population and sampling procedure.
Describe the population in the study
Identify whether the sampling design for this
population is single stage or multistage.
• Single - research has access to names in the
population and can sample directly
• Multistage - researcher first samples groups
(clusters) obtains names of individuals within
each group (cluster) and then samples within the
cluster.
Populuation and Sample (cont)
Identify how indiviuals will be
selected
Random, judgemental, snowball
Discuss whether this sample was
stratified….procedures for selecting
the sample……number of people in
the sample and how this number
was determined…etc…etc…etc….
Instrumentation
Identify the survey instrument used
Self designed??? Modified??? Intact???
Validity and Reliability -
Include sample items so readers can
see actual items used (appendix)
Pilot testing or field testing procedures
Steps used in administering
Surveys and Questionnaires
 The design of surveys and questionnaires
 How to frame questions

Kinds of scales: Likert, Semantic Differential etc.
 Analyzing survey data: which items are useful,
Item Response Theory
 Forming a scale to measure an attribute, e.g.,
satisfaction. Reliability, validity of scale
Variables
Identify the INDEPENDENT
variables
Also called treatment conditions or
factors
These are under the control of the
researcher and typically are
manipulated in an experiment
Independent variables lead to
changes in the dependent variable.
Dependent Variables
Identify the dependent variable or
variables to be used in the study
The dependent variable is the
response or the criterion variable
presumed to be CAUSED or
influenced by the independent
treatment conditions.
Data Analysis
Present data analysis in a
series of steps
Step 1; step 2; step 3, etc.