Limitations And Weaknesses Of Quantitative Research

Gathering information for academic or other reasons is a necessary part of research. It is a procedure for obtaining data and information in order to address current issues or stop them from arising in the future.

There are two ways that research can be done. research that is quantitative or qualitative. Conducting research through the collection of non-numerical data is known as qualitative research. Getting text messages or video evidence, for instance, and analysing it. 

Conversely, quantitative research involves gathering and analysing numerical data through a systematic approach. Finding trends and averages as well as extrapolating a conclusion or outcome to a larger population can be done using it successfully. Most applications of quantitative research are found in the scientific and social sciences, including economics, psychology, and biology.

The four types of research methodologies that can be used to conduct quantitative research are survey, experimental, correlational, and descriptive research. When writing a description, the goal is to understand the "what" of an object rather than its "why." It makes an effort to explain the different parts of an information.

To determine the relationship between two variables, correlational research examines the relationship between the variables. It doesn't fully investigate how one variable affects another.

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 Conversely, an experimental study use scientific techniques to determine the correlation between sets of variables. In other words, it looks for a cause-and-effect link between the different research variables.

Lastly, the most popular type of research is survey research, which entails creating pre-made questionnaires, surveys, and interviews to which a subset of the target population responds. Based on these responses, conclusions are then made. Survey research examines how different factors in a particular study relate to one another.

The ability to reach well-considered conclusions is one of the main advantages of the quantitative research approach, which is derived from the collection of samples from research participants who are directly affected by the study. For the purpose of statistical analysis, the acquired data are primarily transformed into a numerical format. Also, programmes with a focus on science and social science are better suited for quantitative research.

Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

Despite the advantages of quantitative research, there are drawbacks and restrictions to the methodology. This is because not all study situations will benefit from the method's applicability and convenience. 

Therefore, it will not yield the desired results to apply a quantitative research approach in a study where a qualitative research method should be used.
In light of this, the following lists some of the drawbacks and restrictions of quantitative research.

1. It Needs a Big Number of Respondents

 A big number of respondents must be contacted in order to conduct a quantitative study. This is due to the fact that you are selecting a subset of the population to obtain their opinions, which will be seen as representing the entire population.

To obtain a representative sample or percentage of the target population, a large number of respondents must be consulted in this process. For instance, broader consultation is required if one wants to do quantitative research in Nigeria regarding the country's acceptability of a government policy.

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Given that Nigeria is home to more than 200 million people, it is not possible for the opinions of a few thousand people to be representative of the country's 200 million citizens. 

Consequently, in order to obtain a fair picture of the population, more respondents will need to be interviewed. This is one of the drawbacks or weaknesses of quantitative research, as a small sample of the target population may not be very useful for the study.

2. It takes a lot of time

Unlike qualitative research, which analyses material that has already been prepared, quantitative research requires you to find and compile the data yourself as well as translate the obtained information into a numerical form for accurate analysis.

This is a laborious process. Once more, distributing surveys to respondents and waiting for their responses could be a time-consuming task because the majority of respondents will either react slowly or not at all.

Thus, doing a quantitative study requires a great deal of patience. As a result, it is not always an appropriate research strategy in urgent situations because it may take too long to receive results.

3. It needs a lot of resources

 A significant time, financial, and energetic commitment is needed for quantitative research. It takes a lot of time and requires significant cash outlays.When conducting quantitative research, it is important to develop your questions, send them out, and then follow up to make sure they are answered.

Furthermore, prior to contributing to this kind of research, some respondents may insist on receiving payment. One illustration would be the popular online surveys where the intended respondents receive payment for each survey they complete on behalf of a researcher.

4. Difficulty in Analysing the Data Collected

 After data from respondents is gathered, statistics are created. This typically presents a challenge to a researcher lacking in statistical expertise. The process of analysing gathered data is laborious and time-consuming as well. 

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Such data must be converted into numerical form by a researcher and then correlated with the general population. If this isn't done correctly, the results could be inaccurate or deceptive.

The results of a researcher's research may also be inconsistent since he may not have control over the environment he is studying in because any such environment is subject to change at any time.

5. Limited results are typically found in quantitative research

 The results of quantitative research are typically limited. This is so because the results are typically determined by the researcher's goals. The surveys' structured design is to blame for this constrained result. 

Closed-ended questions on questionnaires typically offer respondents little or no opportunity to explain their answers. As a result, the responses given are restricted to the queries posed and nothing more.

6. Data findings are typically generalised

 As previously mentioned, quantitative research is typically carried out on a subset of the target population rather than the entire population. The research's findings are then extrapolated to represent the opinions of the whole populace.

This suggests that the opinions of a small number of research participants are taken to represent the opinions of the broader public. Even though their opinions may be skewed or dishonest, the general public perceives them as such.

Given this, it is possible for a quantitative study to incur the mistake of rapid generalisation. It may not be a good idea to generalise the opinions of a certain group of people because such opinions may be biassed.

In summary, quantitative research is an excellent method of conducting research, particularly in the social and natural sciences. This is because, while its primary focus is behaviour, most of the interactions are one-on-one between the researcher and the different respondents.

Notwithstanding this benefit, the study methodology has drawbacks of its own. The quality of research conducted utilising the quantitative technique is frequently impacted by these flaws and limitations.