Quantitative methodology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Quantitative methodology - Assignment Example Quantitative research methods try to measure variables by assigning scores to them in order to ensure that they can be scaled easily. The root of quantitative research lies in the positivist research paradigm that believes everything happens due to causal relationship between variables by virtue of some fixed law. It is useful to use quantitative research particularly when researchers are trying to test hypothesis. It is quite useful to use quantitative research under certain circumstances. For instance, according to Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias (1992 cited in Johnson, 2001) quantitative research is particularly important when the research problem is very specific and the researcher wants to measure the outcome numerically. The quantitative research is important because it helps the researcher to set the dependent and the independent variables of the research and is able to show the exact nature and direction of relationship between the variables. In short it allows the researcher to explain the causal relationship between the variables. Balsley (1970) had pointed out that quantitative research is particularly useful as the researcher is able to establish internal and external validity of the data due to controlled observations, experiments and proper data cleaning techniques. Additionally, quantitative research is also able to eliminate subjectivity and bias from the research by eliminating human bias factor. There are two main methods of quantitative research designs namely experiential and non-experiential research. Experiential quantitative research focuses on natural science based approach and non-experiential quantitative research focus primarily on social sciences (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie & Turner, 2007). There are basically four main types of quantitative research namely descriptive, correlational, casual-comparative and true experimental. Descriptive quantitative research