Quantitative Methods

Quantitative methodology is the dominant research framework in the social sciences. It refers to a set of strategies, techniques and assumptions used to study psychological, social and economic processes through the exploration of numeric patterns. Quantitative research gathers a range of numeric data. Some of the numeric data is intrinsically quantitative (e.g. personal income), while in other cases the numeric structure is [Page 670]imposed (e.g. ‘On a scale from 1 to 10, how depressed did you feel last week?’). The collection of quantitative information allows researchers to conduct simple to extremely sophisticated statistical analyses that aggregate the data (e.g. averages, percentages), show relationships among the data (e.g. ‘Students with lower grade point averages tend to score lower on a depression scale’) or compare across aggregated data (e.g. the USA has a higher gross domestic product than Spain). Quantitative research includes methodologies such as questionnaires, structured observations or experiments and stands in contrast to qualitative research. Qualitative research involves the collection and analysis of narratives and/or open-ended observations through methodologies such as interviews, focus groups or ethnographies.

Quantitative approaches to research can be very powerful and useful to social scientists. For example, they provide researchers the ability to systematically compare responses across many people in a relatively inexpensive, fast and consistent way. Some methods, like surveys, can provide a space for people to share personal information in an anonymous way that they would otherwise be unwilling to share with an interviewer. And politically, quantitative research can open doors to audiences who privilege numeric results. However, Participatory Action Research (PAR) is more often known for its use of qualitative rather than quantitative methodologies. This is not a coincidence. The collaborative and engaged approach of PAR tends to overlap more naturally with the flexible, open-ended, thematic approach of qualitative research. However, PAR reflects a commitment to democratic participation and social action more than a commitment to any single research method. Therefore, PAR researchers should not avoid projects that are best served by quantitative methodologies. Indeed, quantitative approaches do create a set of challenges that PAR researchers must find creative ways to contend with. This entry first reviews some of the challenges to the use of quantitative research methods in PAR and then provides examples of studies in which quantitative methods have been effectively used in the context of PAR projects.