THE QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

APPROACH
Chapter 2

RESEARCH STEPS WITHIN THE

QUANTITATIVE APPROACH
Step 1: Identify a Problem Area
Step 2 & 3: Review & Evaluate Literature
Step 4 & 5: Be aware of ethical & cultural issues
Step 6: State Research Question or hypothesis
Step 7 & 8: Select research approach & decide
measures
Step 9 & 10: Select a Sample & Data Collection Method

THE QUANTITATIVE APPROACH (Continued)

Step 11: Collect and Code the Data
Step 12: Data Analysis
Step 13 & 14: Write & Disseminate the report

DEVELOPING THE RESEARCH QUESTION

Developing Concepts
Identifying Variables within Concepts

 Putting Value Labels on Variables

Defining Independent and Dependent Variables
Constructing Hypotheses

Developing Concepts
Giving a name to an idea that you want to study (e.g.,
ethnicity)

Identifying Variables Within Concepts

Consider all the dimensions that make up the concept
(e.g., race, culture, identity, societal grouping)
Selecting a dimension of the concept to be measured
(e.g., ethnic group)
Operationalization: the process of naming and defining
variables for your study

Putting Labels on Variables

Labeling the units to be measured for the selected
dimension (e.g., Ethnic groups may include: Asian,
Caucasian, Hispanic, African American, Native
American)

Defining Independent and Dependent Variables

Bivariate Relationship: a research question that includes only
two variables

a one-variable question is univariate, and a question with three or more variables is

multivariate

Dependent and Independent Variables

 Names used to specify the direction of a relationship in a research

question with two or more variables

Independent (X) Dependent (Y)

Studying (X) High grades (Y)

Aging (X) Vision Loss (Y)

Constructing Hypotheses
Formulating research questions into statements
educated guesses
Non-directional hypothesis
Claims a relationship between two variables but does not
specify the direction of this relationship

Directional hypothesis
specifically indicates the predicted direction of the relationship
between two or more variables

Hypothesis Examples
Non-directional hypothesis: African-American and
Hispanic patients see hospital social workers at
differential rates.
Note the direction of the relationship is not specified.

Directional hypothesis: African-American patients see

hospital social workers less often than Hispanic
patients.
Note: the direction of the relationship is specified.

Criteria for Constructing Hypotheses (Box

3.3)

 Features of a Good Quality Hypothesis

Relevance
Completeness
Specificity
Potential for testing

DESIGNING THE RESEARCH STUDY

The blueprint for your study
Determining your sample
Deciding how, where, and when data are to be collected

COLLECTING THE DATA

Three features that are key to quantitative studies

All variables must be measurable
All data collection procedures must be objective
All data collection procedures must be able to be duplicated
(replicable)

ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING THE DATA

Two major types of analysis in quantitative research
studies
Descriptive statistics
Inferential statistics

Descriptive Statistics
Statistics used to describe a studys sample or
population

 Common descriptive statistics

% percentages (e.g., 52% female, 48% male)
Average (e.g., mean age of BSW students is 24.2 years,
median income is $24,000)

Inferential Statistics
Used to determine the probability that a relationship
(between, say, two variables) found in the study sample
also exists within the population from which the sample
was drawn.
Common inferential statistics
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-test, regression

PRESENTATION AND DISSEMINATION OF

FINDINGS
Quantitative research findings are often presented
using tables, figures, and graphs

AN EXPANDED EXAMPLE OF THE

QUANITATIVE METHOD

Step 1: Whats the problem?

Step 2: Formulating initial impressions

Step 3: What others have found

Step 4: Refining the general problem area

Step 5: Measuring the variables

Step 6: Deciding the sample

Step 7: Obeying ethical principles

Steps 8, 9 & 10: Collecting, Analyzing & Interpreting data

Step 11 & 12: Comparing results & study limitations

Step 13: Writing and disseminating study results

SUMMARY
Quantitative research is based on the scientific

method
It is a systematic process of inquiry that is used

to investigate many social problems addressed

by social workers