Research Design, Coursework Example

Measuring and quantifying an anomaly that is being investigated is what the quantitative method is about. Therefore, its focus is on data that is numeric. A quantitative research method accumulates data for studying and analyzing purposes in order to provide a measurement as well as numerical description for the anomaly.

Experimental Method
Many researchers tend to design experiments in order to answer questions such as a particular state’s political affiliations. Such methods enable the researchers to take complete control and ensure that all the variables are accounted for. The purpose for doing so is to find the relation between cause and effect. This is done by manipulating the effects independent variables have on dependent variables.
For examples, let’s use the question provided in our example – why do people vote for the Republican more than the Democrats in Orlando, Florida? The experimental design would select neutral voters to study and present them to the candidates whose political affiliations aren’t given. The neutral voters will be shown the candidates’’ history, political agenda and platform. Their votes will be cast based on this. One candidate is likely to have more votes than the other candidate and the reasons behind this will be revealed after analyzing the categories they have chosen that mattered to them. Then, comparing the candidates’ political affiliations, the experiment will reveal the reason the voters voted for a particular party. These reasons can be categorized and analyzed which will present the results as numerical descriptions.

Survey Method

A particular group of the population is asked various questions in a survey and this can be accomplished through interviews or filled-in questionnaires. The researcher will choose between these based on the resources available to him, the population’s size and purpose of the study. Both ask open-ended and close-ended questions.
Surveys are used to find the enduring relationship between certain elements and variables. Only sample populations are used in surveys; however, a bigger picture is generalized from its results by a researcher which is an inductive approach. Unlike experimental methods, surveys give participants the choice to participate. Both the experimental method and survey method follow the scientific form of researching and the results they yield are numerical and descriptive statistics.

References
Creswell, J. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications