Instructions On Writing A Research Paper Using The Quantitative Method
A quantitative research paper is a lot like a qualitative research paper in terms of formatting and structuring. The only difference is in the methodology or study approach. There are four major approaches in the quantitative method and this article focuses on how to write a research paper using any of them.
The Research Paper Follows the Same Structure
The first thing to not is that you the document structure should remain the same and include the same sections: the abstract, the introduction, a methodology (in this case one of the following quantitative ones), the results, the discussion, the conclusion, and the references/bibliography. Unless your instructor specifically asks you to divert from this you should be able to follow this structure and meet the basic requirements.
The Descriptive Approach
This approach does not require the academic to develop a hypothesis until after he or she has analyzed data that has been collected on the identified variable. Only after analyzing and synthesizing the data does the academic test the hypothesis. For example, this methodology could mean providing a description of the alcohol use habits of teenagers in college.
The Correlational Approach
This approach tries to determine the correlational relationship between variables (at least two or more). An academic will search for the number of facts between the variables in order to determine patterns or trends in the collected data. For example, this methodology could mean figuring out the correlation between achieving poor grades and low self-esteem among middle school-aged students.
Casual Comparative Approach
This kind of approach (also referred to as the quasi-experimental methodology) is one in which the academic attempts to collect data between two or more variables and determine the cause and effect relationships between them. For example, this could mean discovering the cause and effect relationship between lack of exercise in children and adult onset diabetes.
True Experimental Approach
This last method is similar to the casual comparative approach explained above, but it goes further in that academics conducting the study do so in laboratory settings where data collected from variables can be compared to a control group. Many people will refer to this approach as the truly scientific approach one sees in chemistry, physics, medicine, etc. An example of this could be testing the short and long term effects of specific type of treatment on adult male patients with lung cancer. This approach often takes several years but is often considered the most accurate form.
Research Guides
- Where to buy research papers
- Paper topics on history
- APA format term paper
- Psychology paper topics
- Topics for school research papers
- Title page formatting
- Research paper in APA writing format
- Research paper discussion formatting
- Free research paper samples
- An outline for your paper
- How to write a term paper