What are the characteristics of quantitative research?

The characteristics of quantitative research are grounded in the use of numerical data and statistical analysis. This approach allows researchers to quantify variables, making it possible to identify patterns, establish relationships, and measure outcomes across larger populations. By employing structures such as surveys or experiments, quantitative research can produce data that can be analyzed statistically, leading to conclusions that can be generalized beyond a specific sample.

This method stands out because it provides a framework for testing hypotheses with precision and objectivity. It typically involves measurement instruments like questionnaires and employs various statistical tools to interpret the data collected. By doing so, it seeks to answer questions that can be defined and quantified, often resulting in data that can be presented in a format that is easily digestible, such as graphs or tables.

The other choices describe aspects more typical of qualitative research, which focuses on subjective insights and detailed understandings of human behavior or experiences. Instead of emphasizing quantifiable outcomes, qualitative methods center on interviews, observations, and thematic analysis, examining constructs that cannot be easily reduced to numbers. Therefore, the distinct emphasis on numerical analysis and statistical methodologies fundamentally defines quantitative research.