Fundamentals of Quantitative Research（定量研究基础）.pdf

Fundamentals of quantitative research Suphat Sukamolson, Ph.D. Language Institute Chulalongkorn University Abstract The main purpose of this article is to introduce some important fundamental concepts of quantitative research to readers especially novice researchers. It comprises types of research, definitions of quantitative research, different types and assumptions of quantitative research, when to use and not to use quantitative methods, advantages, common approaches and samples of quantitative research, and common misconceptions. Besides, a set of criteria for evaluating quantitative research proposal is provided. The main focus is on the assumptions underlying the quantitative research and some of the misconceptions that many researchers have when they are conducting a research study. Types of Research It is not easy to say how many types of research there are because different researchers or educators may use different criteria to classify research types. Generally speaking, research can be classified into 3 main groups based on the application of the research study, its objectives in undertaking the research and how the information is sought. Each group can be subdivided into different types as follows: (Kumar, 1996) Types of research Applications Objectives Types of information sought