Quantitative research and how to find it.
Answer
Quantitative research is a systematic approach that collects and analyses numerical data to test hypotheses, examines cause-and-effect relationships, and makes predictions. It employs structured methods, large sample sizes and statistical techniques to give objective, replicable findings.
- To find quantitative research you could try limiting your search to "peer-reviewed journals" as research studies that use quantitative methods are published in peer-reviewed journals.
- You could also try adding "quantitative" to your keywords when searching. For example:
marijuana AND pain relief AND quantitative
- If you have a particular research methodology in mind you can include keywords to describe it in your search. For example:
marijuana AND pain relief AND randomized control trial
- Some databases such as PsycINFO allow you to specify the type of study you would like to search for using advanced search options.
We recommend that you take some time to learn about quantitative (and qualitative) research methodologies, so that you can search more effectively. Sage Research Online via the link below is a good place to start: