Quantitative research
Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It is applicable to
phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity. Quantitative research is a method that
helps understand situations or problems by collecting numerical data and analysing it using
statistics. It revolves around generating findings from real-world data based on mathematical,
computational, and statistical methods.
> It employs an objective approach
> It is expressed using graphs and numbers
> It has multiple choice questions
> Quantitative research requires many respondents (sample size is large)
> The data collection methods involved are experiments, surveys, and observations expressed
in numbers
>The primary aim of a Quantitative Research is to focus more in counting and classifying
features and constructing statistical models and figures to explain what is observed.
>The data is usually gathered using structured research instruments.
> The research study can usually be replicated or repeated, given its high reliability.
>Researcher has a clearly defined research question to which objective answers are sought.
>All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is collected.
>Data are in the form of numbers and statistics, often arranged in tables, charts, figures, or
other non-textual forms.
>Project can be used to generalize concepts more widely, predict future results, or investigate
causal relationships.
Qualitative research
Qualitative research Qualitative research, is concerned with qualitative phenomenon, i.e.,
phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind. For instance, when we are interested in
investigating the reasons for human behaviour (i.e., why people think or do certain things), we
quite often talk of ‘Motivation Research’, an important type of qualitative research. This type of
research aims at discovering the underlying motives and desires, using in depth interviews for
the purpose. Other techniques of such research are word association tests, sentence
completion tests, story completion tests and similar other projective techniques. Attitude or
opinion research i.e., research designed to find out how people feel or what they think about a
particular subject or institution is also qualitative research.
>It employs a subjective approach.
> It is generally expressed using words.
> It has open-ended questions .
> Qualitative research needs only a few respondents .
>The data collection methods involved are interviews, focus groups, literature review.
>The research design can adapt and evolve as the study progresses.
>Produces rich, deep descriptions of people's experiences, behaviours, or social contexts.
>Uses words rather than numbers.
Research reporting and communication
Research reporting and communication is the process of systematically documenting,
presenting, and disseminating the results of a research study to relevant audiences. It begins
with research reporting, which involves writing formal documents such as research proposals,
project reports, dissertations, or journal articles. These reports include detailed descriptions of
the research problem, objectives, methodology, data analysis, findings, and conclusions.
Research communication extends beyond academic writing and focuses on sharing research
outcomes through various formats—such as presentations, posters, policy briefs, social media,
or public talks—tailored to different audiences like scholars, practitioners, decision-makers, or
the general public. Effective reporting and communication ensure that research is accessible,
transparent, and impactful, enabling others to learn from, build upon, or apply the findings in
real-world contexts.
NB: The note on writing a research proposal is already given in another pdf. Refer to that as
well.
Application of research methods to real-world social issues.
Research methods help us study and solve real-world social issues by providing reliable data
and insights. These methods include quantitative techniques (like surveys, experiments, and
statistical analysis) and qualitative approaches (such as interviews, focus groups, and case
studies). For example, to address the issue of school dropout among teenage girls in rural areas,
researchers can use surveys to collect data on dropout rates and reasons, and conduct
interviews with students, parents, and teachers to understand the social and economic factors
involved. By analysing this data, researchers can identify key causes—such as poverty, early
marriage, or lack of transportation—and recommend targeted policies or interventions. This
shows how research methods turn real-world problems into research questions that can lead to
meaningful, evidence-based solutions.
Applications of Statistical Tests in Various Fields
Statistical tests are widely used in many fields to make informed decisions by analysing data
and testing hypotheses. In medicine, statistical tests like the t-test or chi-square test are used in
clinical trials to compare treatment effects between groups.
ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is widely used in agriculture to compare more than two groups or
treatments to determine if there are statistically significant differences among them.
The Median Test is used in real life when we want to compare whether two or more groups have
different medians, especially when the data is not normally distributed or is ordinal.A hospital
wants to compare the recovery times of patients treated with two different drugs. Since recovery
times may not follow a normal distribution, the median test is used to check if the median
recovery time differs between the two groups.
The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test is a non-parametric statistical test used to compare two related
samples, matched samples, or repeated measurements on a single sample. Wilcoxon Signed-
Rank Test used to determine if students’ test scores improved after attending a special tutoring
program when the score differences are not normally distributed.
