The Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

Strengths of Quantitative Research

1. Quantitative research is objective. Misinterpretation is very minimal in this type of research because it
provides numerical data.
2. The use of statistical techniques facilitates sophisticated analyses and allows the researcher to
comprehend a huge amount of vital characteristics of data.
3. The numerical data can be analyzed in a quick and easy way. By employing the statistically valid random
models, findings can be generalized to the population about which information is necessary.
4. Quantitative studies are replicable, standardized approaches allow the study to be replicated in different
areas or over time with the formulation of comprehensible findings.

Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

1. Quantitative research requires a large number of respondents. It is assumed that the larger the sample is,
the more statistically accurate the findings are.
2. Quantitative research is costly. Since there are more respondents compared to qualitative research, the
expenses will be greater in reaching out to these people and in reproducing the questionnaires.
3. The information is contextual factors to help interpret the results or to explain variations are usually
ignored. Unlike qualitative research, quantitative research does not consider the distinct capacity of the
respondents to share and elaborate further information.
4. Information is difficult to gather using structured research instruments specifically sensitive issues like
pre-marital sex, domestic violence, among others.
5. Data from questionnaires may be incomplete and inaccurate if it is not done seriously and correctly.
Some respondents may be just guessing in answering the instrument.

Kinds of Quantitative Research

1. Descriptive Research. This design is concerned with describing the nature, characteristics and
components of the population or a phenomenon. This design is used to find general attributes of the
presently existing situation and determine the frequency with which it occurs. Descriptive research is used
if you want to know how many hours a student spends in social media, the number of malnourished
students who failed in the achievement test, and how healthy is the food served during the recess in the
public school.
2. Correlational Research. It is a systematic investigation of the nature of relationship, or associations
between among variables without necessarily investigating into causal reasons underlying them. It is also
concerned with the extent of relationships that exists between or among the variables. For example, if
review program results can be used to predict performance in the University of the Philippines College
Admission Test (UPCAT), then the higher the review program grade, the most likely be the score in the
UPCAT. Correlational research is employed if you like to know, for example, if the following factors are
related to each other: sex and mathematical ability, marriage and cancer recovery, occupation and life span.
3. Evaluation Research. It aims to assess the effects and impacts or outcomes of practices, policies and
programs. Assessing of leadership ability in a community and determining the impact of new teaching
procedure for students are examples of evaluation research.
4. Survey Research. It is used to gather information from groups of people by selecting and studying
samples chosen from population.it may be done in various ways like face-to-face, phone, mail, and online.
Survey research may be cross-sectional if the information is collected from a sample in just single point of
time just like the child-rearing practices of single parents, and population practices of unmarried couples.
Survey research is considered longitudinal if the researcher collects information on the same subjects over a
period of time, sometimes lasting many years in order to study the changes through the years. Longitudinal
survey is utilized, for example, to determine the growth of rice yield in the country and the rate of
promotion of doctorate degree holders five years after earning the degree.

5. Causal Comparative Research. It is also known as ex post facto (after the fact) research. This kind of
research derives conclusion from observations and manifestation that already occurred in the past and now
compared to some dependent variables. It discusses why and how a phenomenon occurs. For example, a
researcher is interested in how weight influences stress coping level of adults. Here, the subjects would be
separated into different group (underweight, normal weight, over weight) and their stress coping levels
measured. This is an ex post facto design because preexisting characteristic (weight) was used to form the
groups.
6. Experimental Research. This research utilizes scientific method to test cause and-effect relationships
under conditions controlled by the researcher. In this case an effort is made to determine and impose
control over all other variables except one. An independent variable is manipulated to determine the effects
on the dependent variables. For instance, a teacher would like to know if a new teaching strategy is effective
or not so he/she teaches one section using the new strategy and teaches another comparable section
without the new strategy, then an achievement test was given to the two sections. The manipulated
independent variable is the new teaching strategy which is being tested if it has an effect on the dependent
variable which is the achievement of the students. Notice that the sections are comparable with one another
meaning all other variables are controlled by the teacher.