There are two basic approaches to answering research questions: quantitative approaches and qualitative approaches, which can also be blended together. This week's lesson introduce you to quantitative and qualitative methods. You will also explore the review process required for conducting research with human participants.

Quantitative Methods

The basic tools for answering research questions can take one of two basic methods. Quantitative research methods categorize information into numerical forms so that it can be summarized and analyzed using statistics. A teacher who wants to increase her students time on task in the classroom might measure the percent of 5 minute whole intervals in which individual students remain in their seats (dependent variable) while manipulating variables in the classroom (independent variable).

Researchers who use quantitative methods also use statistics to summarize their data and make inferences about groups of people based on the sample studied. Descriptive Statistics are ways of summarizing or describing data collected on a sample of participants. Descriptive statistics include simple summaries of data:

Measures of Central Tendency

Mean = the arithmetical average score in the data collected.

Median = the middle point in data at which 50% of the data falls above and below that point if arranged in hierarchical order.

Mode = the most common response found in the data collected.

Measures of Dispersion

Range = the distance between the highest and lowest scores in the data.

Standard deviation = a measure of the spread of scores around the mean. It measures who much the data vary from the mean.

Quantitative researchers typically want to do more than just summarize and describe the data they collect. Typically, researchers want to be able to infer conclusions about a larger population of people based on the data collected from a small sample. Inferential statistics are more complicated calculations that allow researchers to make probability statements about the possible application of the findings to larger populations. Inferential statistics also allow you to test your hypothesis statements using probabilities.

Lesson Activities

Visit the Library Tutorial on What is the Internet , and complete the online questionnaire to check your learning.  After you complete the quiz, save the results and upload the file to the dropbox in eLearning.  (Note: You can save the results by using the save as command on the file menu in your Internet browser.) If you are unable to save the results from your browser, save the confirmation message from your email program and upload the file to the Week 4 Lesson 1 dropbox.

Qualitative Methods

Methods can be broadly classified as primarily quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative methods, as discussed above, involve quantifying information into numbers or scales of measurement. Qualitative methods, on the other hand, cannot be quantified in that they are words rather than numbers. Qualitative data might be a transcribed interviews, transcriptions of a focus groups, journal entries, essay questions, etc. Instead of looking at summarizing the numbers using measures of central tendency, qualitative researchers focus on identifying common themes in the qualitative text.

To help  highlight the differences, here is a paraphrased section from a text book you will encounter in your next research course by Paul Cozby:

To understand the distinction between quantitative and qualitative methods, imagine that you are interested in knowing the effects of working on teenagers. In this case, working would be the independent variable and effects on teenagers would be the dependent variable (it needs to be operationalized, of course). A quantitative approach might use surveys with a sample of teenagers who do and do not work. Operationally defining "effects on teenagers" might include psychological effects which can be tested using a measure that measures a variable such as self esteem. Other effects that you may want to measure could be time spent socializing, time spent and/or number of extra curricular activities they are involved in. All of this information can be quantified or recorded in numerical fashion and then summarized using descriptive statistics. 

A qualitative method might use a series of focus groups with 8 to 10 teenagers in each in which the topics of psychological effects, time spent doing various activities, and other issues from their perspectives that may be effected by working as a teenager. The focus groups would be audio or video recorded and transcribed. The words collected in this way are the data. A qualitative summary of the data would focus on the themes that emerge from the discussions and the manner in which the teenagers conceptualized the issues. Such description is qualitative because it is expressed in non numerical terms using language.

Sometimes, the best research incorporates both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods can be used to pinpoint specific effects and support cause and effect relationships between variables or associations between variables while qualitative can provide rich description of the processes of change and human perspectives that quantitative methods would miss. Employing both methodologies can provide a clearer picture of the topic addressed.

 Institution Review Board Online Training for Researchers (Belmont Report)

Part of learning about research is learning about the ethical considerations you need to make when you ask human beings to participate in your research. The Belmont Report is a document that outlines much of this information. The NCI Computer-Based Training for Researchers will help walk you through some of the most important ideas in the Belmont Report. The Belmont Report and the NCI Computer-Based Training for Researchers are online. You will need to read the report and complete the training, save the certificate, and I recommend also printing hard copies of the certificate. This document is something you will need in Research Practicum and Action Research. Be sure to save the certificate to a disk or other storage device and print hard copies for future use.

Lesson Activities

• Complete the training: Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams (training provided by the National Cancer Institute [NCI] and/or National Institute of Health [NIH]).
• Save and Print the certificate. (To save the certificate, use the "save as" command on the "file" menu, or right-click on the link to the certificate and select the "save target as" or "save link as" from the shortcut-menu.)  
• When I say "Save and Print" above, I mean it. You will need this certificate repeatedly in the next 3 courses you take. Save it in a safe place electronically AND in hard copy, as well as uploading it to the dropbox for this week's assignments. If you lose the certificate, you will have to do the training again! You've been warned.
• Upload the saved certificate in the drop box Week 4 Lesson 2 in eLearning.

Lesson Links

• Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams (training provided by the National Cancer Institute [NCI] and/or National Institute of Health [NIH])

Need Help?  Have a question but can't find the answer? Here are some options:

• Check the list of frequently-asked questions.
• Email Dr. Barry*.

*Remember to include the course name and your name in your message.

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Updated on January 3, 2010