ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces key concepts within social justice scholarship and quantitative research methods. We describe several approaches to social science research: quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and community-based research. We situate these methods within three main research paradigms: (post)positivism, constructivism, and critical approaches. Social justice research is defined as a type of applied research that addresses inequalities, power imbalances, and oppression. We introduce the reader to the term quantitative criticalists, those who use the power of numbers and quantitative research methods to expose and address social injustices and inequalities. Communication, with its emphasis on practical theorizing and long history of critical scholarship, provides a valuable perspective from which to approach social justice research. We share why quantitative research is uniquely poised to inform social justice efforts within Communication. The chapter discusses and begins to interrogate three key features of quantitative research methods: the principle of objectivity, aggregation of numerical data points, and deductive reasoning.
