Unit 6: Data Collection for Quantitative Research

Lesson 2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Contents
Engage 1
Introduction 1
Objectives 2

Explore 2

Explain and Elaborate 3

Summarizing Quantitative Data 3

Extend 9
Activity 9

Evaluate 10

Wrap Up 12

Bibliography 13
Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Engage

Introduction

Fig. 1. An employee reporting company sales

Reporting of sales is a vital part of the organization in monitoring the performance of the
company. Sales reports are used to show the summary of trends and sales activities within
the company. It gives an overview of any opportunities for new ideas and room for
improvements in the company. As with research, summary of data is essential for the
researcher to come up with necessary actions and conclusions regarding the research
problem.

In research, how vital is a researcher’s skill in summarizing collected data? How does it help
in the interpretation and analysis of data? This lesson tackles the processes of summarizing
and presenting quantitative data.

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Understand the different modes of presenting and summarizing data.
● Identify the procedures of data processing, organization, and analysis.
● Define the characteristics of a well-constructed summary of quantitative data.

DepEd Competency
Present and interpret data in tabular and graphical forms. (CS_RS12-IId-g-2)

Explore

15 minutes

1. Form a group with three members.

2. Look for a quantitative research article on any topic.
3. Examine how the data in the study are presented and list down at least three
observations.
4. Based on these observations, make a list of characteristics of what makes a
well-constructed summary of data.

List of observations Characteristics of a well-constructed

summary of data

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Guide Questions
1. Which among the listed characteristics are also present in the observations regarding
the summary of data?

2. How did you come up with the characteristics of a well-constructed summary of

data?

3. What do you think is the role of summary of data in quantitative research?

Explain and Elaborate

Summarizing Quantitative Data

After collecting all the needed data, the researcher must now prepare for data analysis and
interpretation. One of the major steps that must be done prior to data analysis and
interpretation is to summarize the data. Constructing a summary of quantitative data
involves organizing and processing the raw data in preparation for making meaningful
conclusions and interpretations.

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

The step of summarizing data is crucial in quantitative research. Remember that

quantitative research data is primarily numerical in nature. From a practical perspective, it is
difficult to deal with an overwhelming amount of numbers without a system of organization.
Knowing how to summarize the numerical data would be particularly useful in the execution
of statistical techniques for data analysis and interpretation.

Forms of data summary

There are various options available to the researcher when summarizing quantitative data.
These are the following: textual, tabular, and graphical.

● Textual summary
A textual summary is a combination of summarizing findings in narrative form and
attaching figures for support. Researchers use this mode when there is only a few
numerical data available for reporting. In terms of presentation, the data is
summarized in paragraphs.

Example:
The data gathered shows that based on 154 enrolled participants, 49 or 32% of the
total population consists of students from the STEM strand with the highest number
of enrolled participants. This is followed by students from the ABM and HUMSS
strand consisting of 31% or 48 students and 25% or 38 students, respectively. The
least number of enrolled participants come from the GAS strand which consists of 19
students or 12% of the total population of respondents.

How does the mode of presentation affect the

presentability of quantitative data?

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

● Tabular summary
A tabular summary makes use of tables, which allows the researcher to present
numerical data in a more concise, systematic, and organized manner. The data is
presented in horizontal rows and vertical columns with headings or subheadings that
represent the different variables represented by the figures.

Example:
Table 1. Summary of enrolled participants

Strand Frequency Percentage Ranking

STEM 49 32% 1

HUMSS 38 25% 3

ABM 48 31% 2

GAS 19 12% 4

Total 154 100%

● Graphical summary
A graphical summary of data makes use of visual tools such as graphs, charts, and
figures. With the use of visual tools, a graphical summary of data allows the
relationship of variables to be shown and easily identified. In some cases, the use of
graphs and charts makes the information and data become self-explanatory. The use
of graphs and charts in summarizing data also enables the research data to be
clearly and easily interpreted later on, as compared to the use of tables or texts.

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Example:

Fig. 2. Summary of enrolled participants

Steps in constructing a summary of quantitative data

The summary of quantitative data is a crucial input to data analysis and interpretation. Thus,
there must be an organization of raw data when making a summary in preparation for
analysis. The following are the major steps in constructing a summary of quantitative data:

1. Data preparation
In the process of data preparation, the researcher collates all the raw data gathered
from the data collection procedures. It involves the process of aligning the different
types of data collected with the research questions. It also involves the organization
of the raw data according to the method to which it was collected (e.g., separation of
raw data collected from a survey and those from an experiment). This ensures that
the set of collected data is sufficient to answer the research questions of the study.

2. Data coding
Data coding is the process of transforming data into numerical form. This is
commonly done in data collection methods, such as surveys and interviews. Raw
data from surveys and interviews may not always be in numerical form (e.g., the use
of a Likert scale ranging from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’). Coding takes

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

place when nonnumerical data are assigned with numerical values. For example, in
the Likert scale, the nonnumerical answer of “strongly agree” can be coded as “5” and
“strongly disagree” can be coded as “1.” This enables the research to transform the
nominal data into numerical form, which is crucial in the use of statistical techniques
for analysis.

3. Data processing and encoding

This is a step in the data analysis process wherein the researcher makes use of
computer software, specifically statistical software, to encode and process data at a
large scale. Available computer software usually contains features that give the user
the ability to do both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses in a more efficient
manner as compared to manual tallying and analysis of data.

4. Data validation
Data validation is the process of rechecking all the data encoded and processed to
make sure that there are no errors. This may be done by reviewing the outputs of the
research instruments used for data collection. This process ensures that the data to
be summarized and analyzed are accurate, valid, and reliable.

5. Data presentation
As previously stated, there are three main forms of data summaries in quantitative
research: textual, tabular, or graphical forms. Once the raw data are organized,
coded, encoded, and validated, the researcher is ready to summarize the data in any
of these three forms.

How is the process of summarizing quantitative

data related to data analysis in research?

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Characteristics of a well-constructed summary of quantitative data

As discussed earlier, the summary of quantitative data plays an important role in
preparation for data analysis. The researcher must then ensure that the said summary is
reliable and useful for the analysis of data. The following are some of the characteristics of a
well-constructed summary of data:

● It is based on the use of appropriate, structured, and standardized research

instruments. Research instruments play an integral part in constructing the
summary of data. A well-constructed summary of data highly depends on the type of
research instrument used in data collection. If the research instrument is structured
in terms of its administration and interpretation, then the summary of data must
adhere to the structure of the said research instrument. For example, if a survey
questionnaire was used to administer data collection, then the summary of data
must be based on the contents of the questionnaire.

● It is structured and organized. Making a summary of quantitative data requires

being structured in terms of presentation. One way of checking if the data is
organized is to see if they are categorized. Moreover, the presentation of the
summarized data should be able to clearly show which types of data are being
shown.

● It is aligned with the research questions. The summary of quantitative data is

crucial as it would represent the findings of the study. Regardless of the form (i.e.,
textual, tabular, or graphical), the summary of quantitative data must be useful in
answering the research questions.

Tip
Revisit the research questions when creating a summary of data, whether in
textual, tabular, or graphical forms. Check whether the said summary can be
used as a guide to answering the research questions.

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Extend

Activity
Look at the given case below. Create a summary of the research data in tabular form.

A researcher gathered the different modes of learning preferred by 75

chosen grade school students in seventh grade in ABC School. The scores are
as follows: 35 students prefer hands-on learning, 20 students prefer the use
of concrete objects, 10 students preferred storytelling, and 10 students
preferred experimentation.

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Guide
Use an outline to organize all the necessary data. Make sure that the table consists of
complete elements such as the title, headings, and appropriate values for the
research data.

Evaluate

A. Identify the specific step in constructing the summary of

data as depicted in the situations below.

1. Mr. Wilson used a survey scale that gauged the customer’s satisfaction. In preparing
his data for interpretation and summary, he used the value of 1 for ‘unsatisfied’ and
5 for ‘very satisfied.’ What is this process called?

2. After collecting all the data needed for the research, Fatima used visual aids to make
a summary of the survey data gathered, coded, and encoded. What is this process
called?

3. Sam thinks that collecting research data on a large scale can be prone to errors. To
ensure that this does not happen, Sam double checks all the data encoded in the
system to ensure that it is free from error. What is this process called?

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

B. In two to three sentences, answer the questions below.

1. What is the importance of preparing a summary of quantitative data in the data

analysis process?

2. What is the importance of using visual presentations in summarizing quantitative

data?

3. How does coding of nonnumerical data affect the process of summarizing data?

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Wrap Up
___________________________________________________________________________________________

● Summarizing the data is one of the initial steps prior to data analysis and
interpretation.
● Constructing a summary of data constitutes the following steps: data preparation,
data coding, data processing and encoding, data validation, and data presentation.
● Quantitative data can be summarized in textual, tabular, or graphical forms.

Fig. 3. Summarizing quantitative data

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Unit 6.2: Summarizing Quantitative Data

Bibliography
Balnaves, Mark, and Peter Caputi. Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods: An
Investigative Approach. London: SAGE Publications, Ltd., 2001.

Bordens, Kenneth S., and Bruce Barrington Abbott. Research Design and Methods: A Process
Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2018.

Gravetter, Frederick J., and Lori-Ann B. Forzano. Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences.
6th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2018.

Hesse-Biber, Sharlene, and Johnson R. Burke.The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed
Methods Research Inquiry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.

Kumar, Ranjit. Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. California: SAGE
Publications, Ltd., 2011.

Sapsford, Roger, and Victor Jupp. Data Collection and Analysis. 2nd ed. London: SAGE
Publications ,Ltd., 2006.

Wallwork, Adrian. English for Writing Research Papers. New York: Springer Science+Business
Media, 2011.

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