What is the basic methodology for a quantitative research design?
The overall structure for a quantitative design is based in the scientific method. The basic procedure of a quantitative design is:
Make your observations about something that is unknown, unexplained, or new. Investigate current theory surrounding your problem or issue.
Hypothesize an explanation for those observations.
Make a prediction of outcomes based on your hypotheses. Formulate a plan to test your prediction.
Collect and process your data. If your prediction was correct, go to step 5. If not, the hypothesis has been proven false. Return to step 2 to form a new hypothesis based on your new knowledge.
Verify your findings. Make your final conclusions. Present your findings in an appropriate form for your audience.
Other important things to note:
The extent to which extraneous, uncontrolled or unidentified, variables have been controlled by the researcher affects the validity of the quantitative study. Be sure to identify all variables that may have effects in an investigation and account for them in your methodology.