Types of Quantitative Research
Quantitative research refers to research that uses mathematical analysis. The goal of quantitative research is to provide charts and data with clear figures that are derived from known formulas, allowing organizations to make informed decisions. On the other side is qualitative research, which focuses more on intangibles that cannot be measured with formulas. There are several types of quantitative research that organizations, especially businesses, use.
Other People Are Reading
-
Experimental Research
-
Experimental research is a broad type of quantitative research that seeks to analyze the results from a specific activity. Science organizations use experimental research all the time to create quantitative data. Businesses use experimental research in R&D departments, and quasi-experimental methods when experimenting with customers' reactions, where there are not control groups but the experiment still produces useful results.
Variable Analysis
-
Variable analysis occurs when organizations examine a particular, quantifiable component of their processes. A hospital, for instance, may examine how long a patient has to wait before he is admitted -- a study that can produce easily quantifiable data. Time is a popular variable for this process, but businesses may also study product malfunction rates, sales or other facets of its organization.
-
Surveys
-
Surveys are a quantitative form of market research that businesses use to find out what their customers are thinking. Surveys have their limitations, but by creating set parameters for customers to work with, they make data quantifiable and easy to put into statistical charts. Customers also have the ability to fill out the survey at their own pace, making it an ideal method to use online so that the organization can gather a large number of answers.
Interviews
-
Interviews are similar to surveys. If the interviews are quantifiable, interviewers must assign number values to the responses that consumers give. Interviews and focus groups may be easier for organizations to set up because they allow for controllable variables and more accurate results.
-
