Topic 5 Developing quantitative research tools Objectives After completing this topic, you should be able to:
identify the research tools available to collect quantitative dataexplain what data is collected using quantitative research tools
discuss how quantitative data is measured and what scale to use
locate/develop a structured survey questionnaire In our lasttopic,we learnt that quantitative methods are concerned with examining and measuring relationships, and measurements are possible only through collection of data in numerical form.
With this in mind, we will discuss tools and methods of collecting primary quantitative data,potential sources of secondary quantitativedata, types of variables for which quantitative data iscollected, measurement scales used to quantify data,central tendency theory which underpins quantitative researchand the fundamentals of developing a quality structured survey to collect valid quantitative data.
Quantitative research toolsand methods of data collectionAs discussed earlier, quantitative studies are more objective, and require data collection using specific constructs(and validated test bank items) identified in the literature. Since quantitative researchers know exactly what data to collect, the toolsused to capture these constructs are highly structured.
There is a range ofstructured research tools availablee.g., structured observations, structured interviews and structured surveys. In this unit, we focus mainly on structured surveys because it suits most industry research projects, andlarge amounts of datacan be collected from a big sample within a short period of time and in a relatively cost effective way.
A structured survey includes questions that are rigid with responses i.e. all potential response options are listed with the question, and participants tick off one that best represents their answer/opinionfrom the given list.
Likewise, structured observations and interviews also commence with a clear idea of what data to collect, except thatthey might use a different method to collectthe data.
Your next reading summarises these research tools and the methods of quantitative data collection.
