1. Quantitative Research Method (Research Design)By
Temtim Assefa
October, 2013

2. Overview of Quantitative Research
Uses deductive method of knowledge acquisition
Intends to falsifies an existing theory or develop new relationships between constructs
Tries to generate generalizable knowledge
Accepts objectivity of knowledge
Uses a standard measurement instruments
The researcher is independent in the process of knowledge construction
Intends with prediction and controlling

3. Research Process Problem Data Interpretation Conceptual FW, Hypothesis
Research Design
Data Collection & Analysis
Develop Instrument

4. Direction of Abstraction/ Substruction
Theory
(Theoretical system)
Construct 
Concept
Deductive
(qualitative) 
Methods
(Operational System)
Measures
Scaling/Data analysis
(quantitative)
Inductive

5. Rigor in Quantitative Research
Theoretical Grounding: Axioms & postulates – substruction-validity of hypothesized relationships
Design validity (internal & external) of research design; Instrument validity and reliability
Statistical assumptions met (scaling, normal curve, linear relationship, etc.)
(Note: Polit & Beck: reliability, validity, generalizability, objectivity)

6. Literature Review Study Aims
Study Aims Study Question
Study Question Study Hypothesis

7. Aim, Question, and Hypothesis
Study Aim: To explore IT increases organizational efficiency
Study Question: Does IT increases organizational efficiency?
Study Hypothesis:
Null: H0: There is no difference between organizations which introduce IT and those which do not.

8. When do you choose
The first type of research question is that demanding a quantitative answer.
Examples are: ‘How many students choose to study education?’ or ‘How many maths teachers do we need and how many have we got in our school district?’ That we need to use quantitative research to answer
Numerical change can likewise accurately be studied only by using quantitative methods. Are the numbers of students in our university rising or falling?
When we often want to explain phenomena. What factors predict the recruitment of maths teachers? What factors are related to changes in student achievement over time?
Testing of hypotheses . We might want to explain something – for example, whether there is a relationship between IT use and organizational performance

9. Types of quantitative Research
Basically there are two types
confirmatory or exploratory research. Hair et al. (1995) suggest that confirmatory studies are those seeking to test (confirm) a prespecified relationship,
Exploratory studies are those which define possible relationships in only the most general form and then allow multivariate techniques to estimate a relationship(s).
in exploratory studies, the method and the data will define the nature of the relationships.

10. Quantitative Research Design
A research Design is nothing more than a plan for conducting a research in such a way as to answer a research questions.
A number of questions arise to select the research design
who, what shall be the focus of the study?
What attributes of individuals, organizations, systems, etc,
In what contexts observations will be made (organizations, laboratories, etc),
what methods employed to analyze the data?

11. Types of Quantitative Research
Researchers are constrained with people, time, money, etc to select the best research design
A prime consideration is designing cost effective research
Some of the Quantitative research design method includes
Field study
Field experiment
Lab experiment
Experimental simulation
Adaptive experiment
Archival research

12. Types of Quantitative Research Designs
Descriptive X? Y? Z?
What is X, Y, and Z?
Correlational rxy
Is there a relationship between X and Y?
Causal ΔX  ΔY?
Does a change in X cause a change in Y?

13. Field Experiment
A field experiment is a research study conducted in a realistic situation in which one or more independent variables are manipulated by the experimenter under conditions as the situation will permit.

14. Field Experiment steps
It follows all steps of scientific process
selection and determination of a problem,
selection of participants and measuring instruments,
selection of a research plan,
execution of the plan,
analysis of data and
formation of conclusions

15. Features of FE It has three unique features
the research takes place in natural setting
the experimenter manipulates one or more independent variables while exerting much control over confounding variables; and
the effect of the manipulations on one or more dependent variables is systematically observed.

16. FE Design
There three type of designs

17. Controlling Nuisance in Field Experiment
Solomon Four Groups in True Experiment
Experimental group 1: R O X O
Control group 1: R O O
Experimental group 2: R X O
Control group 2: R O
Removing statistically the effect of suspected confounding variables

18. Data collection and Analysis
The following methods are used to collect data
Questionnaire
Structured interview
Computer log files
Data analysis
Descriptive statistical methods
Inferential statistical methods

19. Advantages of FE
Conducted in natural settings and has higher experimental validity
Realism simply increases the strength of the variables. It also contributes to external validity, since the more realistic the situation, the more valid are generalizations to other situations likely to be.
Help to clearly identify antecedents of observed effects in casual relationships
Used for the development of theory as well as for the solution of applied problems;
The logic of FE can be applied in the analysis of many naturally occurring changes
Appropriateness for studying complex social and psychological influences, process, and changes in lifelike

20. Disadvantage
The methods used to control confounding variables in FE are not sufficient
Manipulation of variables cause legal and ethical problems
Difficult to control dynamically changing environment during the course of the experiment
Difficult to precisely measure dependant variables in the field settings. In other words, the dependent variable measures are often so inadequate they cannot pick up all the variance that has been engendered by the independent variables.
Expensive to conduct compared to lab experiment
Needs highly skilled person to design and conduct

21. As indicated earlier, the main weaknesses of field experiments are practical. Manipulation of independent variables and randomization are perhaps the two most important problems.
One other weakness in field experimental situations is lack of precision. In other words, the dependent variable measures are often so inadequate they cannot pick up all the variance that has been engendered by the independent variables.

22. Role of FE in computer Science
It has many applications in IS
To develop theory
To test hypothesis
To evaluate IS tools and techniques

23. Practical Examples
Fukada et al (n.d.) used field experiment to study the effect of Road Facility Management Support System on asset management of the public infrastructure.
Mayur et al (2000) made study to compare and suggest the best training method for companies between instructor based training and computer based training methods.
Chen et al (2007) made a field experiment study to identify effects of different types of social information on contributions to an online communities.

24. Field Studies
Field studies are non-experimental scientific inquiries aimed at discovering the relations and interactions among sociological, psychological, and educational variables in real social structures.
The field study investigator ordinarily manipulates no independent variables. Neither randomization nor experimental manipulation was possible.

25. Types of Field Studies
Katz (1953) has divided field studies into two broad types: exploratory and hypothesis testing.
Exploratory studies have three purposes: to discover significant variables in the field situation, to discover relations among variables, and to lay the groundwork for later, more systematic and rigorous testing of hypotheses.

26. Strengths of Field Studies
Field studies are in realism, significance, strength of variables, theory orientation, and heuristic quality. The variance of many variables in actual field settings is large, especially when compared to the variance of the variables of laboratory experiments.
In a field situation there is usually so much noise in the channel that even though the effects may be strong and the variance great, it is not easy for the experimenter to separate the variables.

27. Strengths and Weaknesses of Field Studies
Its most serious weakness, of course, is its nonexperimental character. Thus statements of relations are weaker than they are in experimental research.
Another methodological weakness is the lack of precision in the measurement of field variables. Studies of organizations, for example, are mostly field studies, and the measurement of organizational variables well illustrates the difficulties.
Other weakness of field studies are practical problems: feasibility, cost, sampling, and time.

28. Review Questions
Explain the different quantitative research design methods
What is the strength and weakness of each method
What are the different survey research methods
What is the main data analysis methods
what problem can you address with quantitative research methods
What are the procedures in quantitative Research
How do you use Quantitative research in computer science?