ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we describe our conceptual framework for the five quantitative research approaches: randomized experimental, quasi-experimental, comparative, associational, and descriptive. The research literature is inconsistent, but we think that it is important to make logical, consistent, and conceptually important distinctions among different approaches to research. We believe that this framework and labeling are helpful because the terminology (a) is more appropriate, (b) is more logically consistent, (c) helps make the leap from approaches and designs to selection of appropriate statistics, (d) provides appropriate guidance about inferring cause and effect, (e) separates approaches and data collection techniques, which are conceptually orthogonal, and (f) deals well with complex studies because the approaches relate to research questions or hypotheses and not necessarily to whole studies.
