Quantitative research

“Quantitative research is the systematic scientific investigation of properties and phenomena and their relationships”, wikipedia. Like the statement stated, it’s the scientific investigations of the properties of the phenomena. But when students go through the research they have difficulty differentiating among the qualitative and quantitative site. So it would be great to first find out what are the characteristic of the quantitative research. In the quantitative research there will be lots of data collected with large number of people. The question may arise, how much number is considered as the large number, it’s a valid question. So for that, the number should be more than 100 in number or at least 25% of the total sample taken. The major characteristic of the quantitative research is data’s are in the form of the numbers and statistics. Researcher would have used the tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to collect numerical data. In other word, if we tend to find out the numerical data’s in the research they are quantitative. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena.
The other properties of this research are:
1. It aims to classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed.
2. It clarifies the relationship between independent variable and dependent variable.
3. These researches are either descriptive or experimental.
4. It provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships.
Examples of quantitative research
Research that consists of the percentage amounts of all the elements that make up Earth's atmosphere
Survey that concludes that the average patient has to wait two hours in the waiting room of a certain doctor before being selected.
An experiment in which group x was given two tablets of Aspirin a day and Group y was given two tablets of a placebo a day where each participant is randomly assigned to one or other of the groups.
The numerical factors such as two tablets, percent of elements and the time of waiting make the situations and results quantitative.