ABSTRACT
Quantitative approaches to research provide development scholars and practitioners with an important set of tools for exploring the context, causes and outcomes of development concerns. Quantitative methods are used to develop an understanding of the ‘big picture’ based on rigorous objective measurement. Within development research, you can use quantitative approaches to engage with a vast array of topics and concerns, from health to education, from governance to aid flows, and from perceptions of corruption to understanding migration. Using quantitative methods, you may base your research entirely on existing datasets or you may develop your own survey through which to generate new data. In either case, you are not seeking to develop a deep understanding of an individual’s feelings, perceptions or identity. Instead, you are concerned with generating broader findings based on large samples from which you can draw generalized findings and recommendations.
