Quantitative Research Study: Definition, Approaches, Methods & Examples

In this article, we will focus on what a quantitative study is and its main methods. Prepare to go through:

Our paper writers also provided the best quantitative research methods and examples to showcase the benefits of this approach.

Before jumping into a detailed discussion on how to launch quantitative research, let’s outline a definition of this type of study. 

Quantitative research involves analyzing numerical data to uncover patterns and statistical information, which can be used to test hypotheses and respond to research questions. Quantitative methods often include statistical analysis, surveys, and experiments to generate measurable data and make accurate predictions. 

Quantitative research studies are usually applied to fields such as social science, economics, marketing, biology, etc. It is also commonly used for descriptive, correlational, or experimental studies.

Next, we will delve deeper into specific methods to define which one can best fit your academic work. However, before you start analysis and data collection, you need to be clear with the study purpose and research questions you will try to answer in your work.

>> Read more: Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

First, let’s define quantitative research characteristics to ensure that you choose the right type of data for your study. A deep understanding of key traits is the guarantee that you won’t make a mistake when conducting your own study.

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Quite often, it is challenging to apply all the knowledge about this type of research to your specific field of study. However, we want to share examples of quantitative research that illustrate that it can be used for any purpose.

Quantitative research example 1

Example of quantitative research 2

There are a few different types of quantitative research that can be used for various studies. Let’s overview each type of quantitative research to understand in what circumstances and for what goals you can use each of them.

We would focus on 4 main types of quantitative approaches in data collection and analysis:

When discussing types of quantitative research methods, we also need to define primary and secondary methods. Primary methods are used to collect data directly from the source, such as through surveys, experiments, or systematic observations. 

Below we will explain each of these methods in detail.

1. Survey Research

Surveys are a widely used quantitative research methodology across various disciplines and fields of study. They are organized both online or offline to gather data from different audiences. In recent years, online surveys have become increasingly popular, replacing traditional methods such as phone or in-person questioning

Surveys can be applied to achieve various study aims, such as understanding attitudes, behaviors, opinions, preferences, or demographic characteristics.

We would like to define 2 main quantitative survey methods:

Survey quantitative research method example

2. Experiment

Experimentation is one of the quantitative approaches to research that assumes testing various theories to prove or disprove them, or to identify their limitations. This is another powerful quantitative research method that is often used in psychology, biology, physics, and sociology, among others. 

Experimentation is a systematic quantitative research approach to testing hypotheses and understanding the causal relationships between variables. Researchers manipulate independent variables while holding all other variables constant to observe changes in their dependent variable. By comparing the outcomes of the experimental group to those of the control group, researchers can determine if intervention was effective.

There are two main types of experiments:

Example of experiment method

>> Read more: How to Design an Experiment 

3. Systematic Observation

One of the most reliable types of quantitative research methodologies is systematic observation. It requires researchers to observe specific situations, behavior, or case and collect numeric data based on predefined forms. Those forms are based on the theoretical framework for a specific quantitative study. Usually, this method involves one or more observers and can be applied to different events or behavioral observations. 

Systematic observation relies on accurate coding and the proper recording of data onto the structured forms used in the study. This quantitative research method is commonly employed in fields such as sociology, medicine, education, and psychology, and requires precise numeric data to be collected. Although observations can be documented through video or audio recordings, researchers using systematic observation focus specifically on measuring specific variables of interest. 

Observation: quantitative research design example

When we discuss various analytical techniques, we have already mentioned some types of quantitative data collection methods. However, let’s go deeper and identify key methods to gather numeric data. We will speak about sampling methods, surveys, and polls. Also, our experts prepared examples of quantitative methods for data collection to help students and researchers work accurately. You also should consider using specific tools for working with this type of data and what is the most important to understand your study purpose. 

1. Sampling Method

Let’s imagine you are conducting research about teens and their usage of social media. There is no way you can send a survey, and they analyze data from all teens in the world. However, you will need to choose a reliable number of teens and then create quantitative research designs for this group. 

There are two main sampling methods we are going to discuss – probability and non-probability sampling. 

Probability Sampling

This quantitative method of data collection can be applied to cases when you need to analyze a specific group of people. For instance, you need to learn what the chance is that a city will vote for a chosen politician. It means you need to understand the age and gender percentages in a city and choose people for the survey based on this information. If your city has 34% of women age 55+, using a quantitative approach, you need to have the same percentage in your sampling. 

There are 4 types of probability sampling:

Non-Probability Sampling

These quantitative data collection methods consider that the choice of samples depends on a researcher's experience and knowledge. In other words, not everyone can be selected for this data collection procedure - not everyone has an equal probability of being a part of your study. 

Quantitative researchers use five models for non-probability data gathering:

2. Surveys

The next and quite popular method to collect data is the quantitative survey method. The design of your question will depend on the theory you are using for your study. For instance, If you are looking at how customer awareness about product features influence their engagement with a brand, you will apply relationship communication theory. In other words, you can’t put any questions you want into the survey.

You can conduct surveys for your quantitative research using the following ways:

As quantitative studies are focused on numeric data, you need to use a likable scale for answers and not open questions.

3. Polls

Polls are a commonly used quantitative research method, particularly in election and exit polls. Conducting quantitative research for the election means you can ask simple questions with multiple choices. For instance, you may offer a few demographic questions (e.g., age, employment),as well as questions about voting behavior (e.g., candidate they voted for).

Applying quantitative design for polls, researchers need to ensure that the answers can be analyzed with statistical formulas. That is why the questions for the polls are often quite simple and comprise up to 5 questions. However, in some cases, polls may include even less queries. 

A quantitative research study can use benchmarks, brushfire, and tracking polls.

After you collect the results of your polls, samplings, or surveys, you need to analyze quantitative data. As we are discussing primary data, researchers have raw information that can be analyzed and later interpreted in different ways. 

Based on quantitative research approaches, we identify 2 key methods for the analysis of numeric data:

Using these statistical instruments, scientists can go deeper into result discussion and test hypotheses.

Secondary methods of quantitative research are based on the analysis of existing data – the information already gathered by someone or presented in other papers. In this case, we do not need to collect data. Instead, scientists conduct their own quantitative research applying statistical analysis methods and formulas to gain new insights from existing data. 

There are 5 most commonly used types of secondary quantitative research methods:

If you are working in the academic field or going to get a master's or Ph.D. degree, you definitely will need to conduct various types of studies to write a dissertation. Let’s look at the common ways to conduct quantitative research. Make sure you keep these important considerations in mind:

Adhering to these recommendations ensures that research is targeted and generates valuable findings.

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Before choosing this analytical type for your work, you need to be aware of the advantages of quantitative research methods. 

Here are the pros of using quantitative research methodologies for the research:

It may look like working with quantitative research can bring only pros to your study. However, there are a few cons you need to be aware of before starting your data collection. How can methodology in quantitative research become a disadvantage for your study?

In the few paragraphs, we tried to guide you through key principles of numeric research and answer the question of what is a quantitative study and how to conduct it correctly. We identified critical approaches in collecting data for this type of analysis and outlined limitations you need to have in mind running this study. 

You also can find the best quantitative methods examples that will definitely help you with your own study. Try your best to launch a valuable and reliable study using all the knowledge on how to work with numbers!