Hugo Quené & Kirsten Schutter

How to draw valid and robust conclusions from quantitative data

Utrecht University, Utrecht University

Proper design increases the odds of your quantitative research being funded and published, as well as hold up in replication studies. We will highlight methodological aspects of a properly designed quantitative study and illustrate these with examples.

Among the aspects to be discussed are (1) a clear research question grounded in theory, with valid operationalization of your key variables, (2) the balance between the numbers of factors varied, the variables observed and your sample sizes, (3) the importance of preparing your data for statistical analyses, (4) using exploratory data analysis in order to find patterns in your results, and (5) the odds of replicating your findings, depending on (true) effect size, your design, and your sample size.