1. The Quantitative Research Approach
Chapter 2
The Quantitative Research Approach

2. WHAT IS THE POSITIVIST WAY OF THINKING?
Striving Toward Measurability
Striving Toward Objectivity
Striving Toward Reducing Uncertainty
Striving Toward Duplication
Striving Toward the Use of Standardized Procedures

3. The Positivistic Research Approach
One objective reality
Seeks to be objective
Reality unchanged by observation and measurements
Researcher puts aside own values
Social land physical sciences are a unity
Passive roles for research subjects
Many research subjects involved
Data obtained through observations and measurements
Data are quantitative in nature
Deductive logic applied
Causal information obtained
Seeks to explain or predict
Tests hypotheses
Reliance on standardized measuring instruments
High generalizabilty of findings

4. The Interpretive Research Approach
Many subjective realities
Admittedly subjective
Reality changed by observations and measurements
Researcher recognizes own values
Social and physical sciences are different
Active roles for research participants
Few research participants involved
Data obtained by asking questions
Data are qualitative in nature
Inductive logic applied
Descriptive information obtained
Seeks to understand
Produces hypotheses
Researcher is the measuring instrument
Limited generalizability of findings

5. Two Research Approaches Compared

6. RESEARCH STEPS WITHIN THE QUANTITATIVE APPROACH
Steps 1 and 2: Developing the Research Question
Step 3: Designing the Research Study
Step 4: Collecting the Data
Steps 5 and 6: Analyzing and Interpreting the Data
Steps 7 and 8: Presentation and Dissemination of Findings

7. Steps within the Quantitative Research Approach