ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the basic concepts in quantitative research. Undertaking quantitative research involves working with numbers and statistics. Statistics involves collecting and analysing numerical data in large quantities drawn from representative samples and from which conclusions or inferences can be made. An important part of learning to use statistics is knowing how to select and how to use the appropriate or right statistical technique as part of a research investigation. The chapter focuses upon quantification and number and explains different types of numbers and ways of classifying numbers, including explanations of: Nominal numbers (numbers used as names), Continuous numbers (numbers you can perform mathematics and statistics on) and Ordinal numbers (numbers indicating a ranked order). The notion of numbers and counting dates back to prehistory, and most communities or societies, however simple, have some system of counting.
