Quantitative research is the collection and analysis of numerical data, usually with established variables or operational definitions.
It is usually undertaken in order to test a hypothesis, measure a causal relationship, extrapolate from samples to a larger population, and more (or all!).
Data is often collected through surveys that translate concepts into measures, or experiments where a controllable variable is manipulated in order to measure impact.
You can use Discovery's Advanced Search to try to limit your results to qualitative studies.
There are a handful of ways of doing this.
You can use the Subject Terms filter to search for terms like "Quantitative," "T-test (Statistics)," and "Descriptive Statistics."
A search using this method may look like this:
Not all articles have the type of research indicated in the subject terms. However, some articles reveal the type of research directly in the title. Search for Quantitative in the Title, as in the example below:
In some cases, you may want to remove certain types of research from your results. For example, searching for quantitative research using method 1 (Subject Terms) may also capture mixed methods studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. You can remove these by using the "NOT" operator, like so:
EBSCO's Advanced Search looks similar to Discovery's Advanced Search, but you will find more options in EBSCO's Advanced Search. EBSCO's Advanced Search includes "Special Limiters" for the different databases Yorkville has subscribed to. This particular method is applicable only for APA PsycArticles. If you scroll down, you will find "Special Limiters for APA PsycArticles." In this section, you will find a variety of limiters, including METHODOLOGY.
In this section, there are a number of options for quantitative literature:
You can select more than one of these options by holding down the SHIFT key while selecting the methodologies you would like to include in your query.
It is important to remember that this does not guarantee that the results are all pure quantitative studies - many of the studies captured in your results may be mixed methods, for example.
The current JARS–Quant guidelines, released in 2018, expand and revise the types of research methodologies covered in the original JARS, which were published in 2008.
JARS–Quant includes guidelines for manuscripts that report
In addition, JARS–Quant now divides hypotheses, analyses, and conclusions into primary, secondary, and exploratory groups. This should enhance the readability and replicability of the research.
Providing the information specified in the JARS–Quant guidelines should become routine and minimally burdensome, thereby increasing the transparency of reporting in psychological research.
For more information on how the revised standards were created, read Journal Article Reporting Standards for Quantitative Research in Psychology.
For more information on JARS-Quant, click here. For the PDF outline for general JARS-Quant, click here.