1. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
EDUC 8017
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

2. WELCOME - INTRODUCTIONS
EXPECTATIONS
CLASS PARTICIPATION
ASSIGNMENTS/ACTIVITIES
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
QUESTIONS ABOUT RESEARCH METHODS
EXPERIENCE WITH RESEARCH
HANDOUTS – Web Connections
SYLLABUS
LECTURE/DISCUSSION/ACTIVITIES
RESEARCH ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT

3. Research Principles Science is forever - the answers are tentative
The problem “drives” the research strategy
It is impossible to eliminate error - the goal is to reduce, minimize, control and identify error and its sources
Measure to the highest level appropriate

4. Principles (cont)
The rigors of science apply to both qualitative and quantitative approaches
Use the fewest variables to account for the largest portion of the variance
Representative sampling is a problem only when drawing inferences
Analysis strategy fits the size of the study
Use the appropriate statistic for the problem/data

5. Overview of Research CASUAL OR SYSTEMATIC INQUIRY ERRORS CONTROLS
RESEARCH GOALS
DESCRIBE
UNDERSTAND
PREDICT
FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
THEORY
RESEARCH METHODS
STATISTICS
LANGUAGE OF RESEARCH
CONCEPTS
VARIABLES
ATTRIBUTES
THEORY & RESEARCH PARADIGMS
STRUCTURE OF THEORY
TERMS REALITY OBJECTIVITY SUBJECTIVITY OBSERVATION FACT LAW PROPOSITION HYPOTHESES
RESEARCH DIALECTIC (LOGICAL SYSTEMS)
DEDUCTION - INDUCTION
IDIOGRAPHIC – NOMOTHETIC
(single instance) (class of conditions)
QUALITATIVE - QUANTITATIVE

6. Orienting Questions Why do we pay attention to research methods?
What do we attempt to accomplish be being systematic about our inquiry?
What is error? What is control?
What factors are involved in deciding what the research design will look like for a project?
What is measurement?
What factors are important when considering the measurement of a concept?

7. Orienting Questions (cont)
What is sampling?
What factors are involved in the developing a sampling strategy?
How do we determine sample size?
What are the strengths/limitations of the alternative research designs?
What can we say about the products of each of the alternative research designs?
What are the factors that are important in distinguishing between data, the description of data, and the interpretation of data?

8. Orienting Questions (cont)
What are the factors that are important in “preparing” data for analyses?
Why do we use statistics?
What factors are used to determine which statistic(s) to use? What are the different types of statistics?
What are the important principles that apply to inferential statistics?
What is/are the (a) advantages, (b) limitations, information value of the output when using any design, measurement technique, data preparation format, data display format or statistic

9. Science Cycle

10. Science Cycle - Dimensions