Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1994), 7.
- A quantitative variable is one than can be measured ì
numerically (a student test score, as an example), while a ì
qualitative variable is non numeric, such as gender or ethnic ì
4R. C. Pfaffenberger, and J. H. Patterson, Statistical ì
Methods for Business and Economics, 4th ed. (Homewood, Illinois: ì
+ Quantitative data are produced by ordinal, interval, and ì
ratio scales, while qualitative data are produced by nominal ì
5A. E. Bartz, Basis statistical concepts, 3rd ed. (New York: ì
Macmillan Publishing Company, 1988), 9-12.
Quantitative data are most often subjected to quantitative ì
analysis, which means that such data are analyzed through the ì
application of statistical procedures such as regression and ì
correlation analysis. Quantitative analytical procedures provide ì
a positivist result, i.e., a specific quantitative relationship ì
between two or more variables is established. Qualitative ì
evaluative criteria, however, may also be applied to quantitative ì
data. Suppose that it was found that a mean standardized test ì
score at the 69th percentile level was associated with specified ì
levels of resource application per student. The quantitative
¦ ìèinvestigator would present the positivist result without a value ì
judgment. A Qualitative evaluation of the result, however, would ì
depend upon the normative evaluative criteria applied, because a ì
qualitative evaluation is a subjective evaluation. A case might ì
be made in such an instance that, to increase the score mean, an ì
increase in governmental spending would be required. A ì
qualitative evaluator for whom the control of governmental ì
spending is of paramount importance would likely conclude that ì
the 69th percentile level is acceptable under the specified ì
conditio...