The Quantitative Research Approach Chapter 4 The Quantitative Research Approach

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

RESEARCH APPROACHES

STEPS WITHIN THE QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH Steps 1 and 2: Developing the Research Question Task 1: Develop Concepts Task 2: Identify Variables and Concepts Task 3: Put Value Labels on Variables Task 4: Define Independent and Dependent Variables Task 5: Construct a Hypothesis Task 6: Evaluate the Hypothesis Relevance Completeness Specificity Potential for Testing 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 Descriptive Statistics Inferential Statistics

EXAMPLE OF THE QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD Step 1: What’s the Problem? Step 2: Formulating Initial Impressions Step 3: Determining What Others Have Found? Step 4: Refining the General Problem Area Step 5: Measuring the Variables Step 6: Deciding on a Sample Step 7: Obeying Ethical Principles Step 8: Collecting the Data Step 9: Gathering and Analyzing the Data Step 10: Interpreting the Data Step 11: Comparing Results with Others Findings Step 12: Specifying the Study’s Limitations Step 13: Writing and Disseminating the Study’s Results