Have you ever thought what is the relevance of variables in research? If you haven’t figured that out yet then no worries. Here, you will get an in-depth answer. Conducting research with accurate calculation of variables can be learned with practice and observation.
Further, if you are a university student struggling with your assignment and looking for a helping hand then you can get dissertation writing help from the experts online. Also, professionals have crafted this time-saving blog to enlighten you about the importance of variables in research.
Variables: What are They?
Research means doing a thorough investigation by gathering information about a specific subject. To create new knowledge, a researcher considers calculative factors that can be changed due to a set of conditions. Things which can fluctuate in research due to a set of conditions are called variables.
Variable simply means something which varies. Variables are the foundation which researchers can control or calculate to comprehend the causes and effects within studies. Variables could be ideas, feelings, demography, religion, temperature, income language etc anything that varies from one human to another.
A variable must have a quantifiable value, it has a wide scope from age and height to economic status or residence. Researchers have to consider all the changing factors, so able to formulate hypotheses or interpret the results. Hence, variables fill the research with excitement and give scope to compare and contrast
Characteristics of Variables
Let’s Learn About the Certain Characteristics of Variables. They are as Follows:
- They have a pattern of fluctuation like weekly, monthly or yearly
- They can predict the value of one variable based on other
- They are even capable of assuming values of other category
- They gather the raw data for statistical research
Kinds of Variables
To gain in-depth insight into variables, you must comprehend their kinds. Broadly variables are divided into six kinds, each has unique characteristics and role in the research.
1. Independent Variable
These are those variables that have no cause and effect on other variables. Thus, a researcher can manipulate these variables to affect the dependent variable. Independent variables act independently.
Researchers can turn them according to their preferences or simply to achieve the required result. For example, the age or population values are fixed within a study.
2. Dependent Variable
These variables are the opposite of independent variables. Their values are affected due to variations in the independent variables. Thus, dependent variables keep fluctuating according to fluctuations in other variables.
A dependent variable varies due to the modification of the independent variable. It responds to the changes. The measurement of these changes is an actual experiment.
3. Qualitative Variable
These variables cannot be presented in the number. For example, feelings, ideas, the colour of hair etc. It can be shown in words, symbols or often in numbers.
These variables are also called categorical variables. This is so because you can make different groups categorywise. This variable is useful in statistical modelling.
4. Quantitative Variable
These variables are also known as continuous variables, as they can consider infinite number values in a given range. The ability to quantify provides accurate measurement. Examples could be, body weight, height, temperature etc.
While researching, the continuity of these variables offers a comprehensive analysis. The fine precision of this variable helps researchers in finding patterns, and relations within data, which eventually provide robust and comprehensive outcomes.
Importance of Variables in Research
The vital lesson to understand is that variables are significant in deciding the research question and this research question leads the whole research from selecting the research methods, data collection methods and further analysis techniques.
Variables are a handy tool for a researcher to point out core concepts, they want to investigate thoroughly and further build research questions that are calculative and relevant to the objective of the research.
As you are already aware, variables can be independent, dependent, qualitative or quantitative, either of them decides the design, and methods for gathering and analysing data of the research. Variables are important in research because:
1. Decide Research Questions
Variables help the researcher in deciding on research questions. They made things easier for a researcher by clarifying what they wanted to research.
2. Develop Hypotheses
Variables are a foundational unit of information that helps researchers study, decipher and develop hypotheses on the relation between different things.
3. Decipher Results
Variables are important in research as researchers can scan the values of variables to comprehend how experiments get affected or how things are related to each other. Thus, variables help researchers in comparing and contrasting and on this basis able to decipher results.
4. Evaluate Concepts
Variables present varieties of characteristics, and numbers like age, weight, income, ideas, feelings etc. All these get grouped depending on their role in the study, the kind of data they present and the relation they share with other variables. This helps a researcher to evaluate concepts with ease.
Hence, researchers prudently evaluate and decipher the values of every variable to understand how things are related to each other in a detailed study or an experiment.
Drawbacks of Variables in Research Methodologies
The variable being a foundational element of any research, can either help in developing new knowledge or can even create blunders, if data isn’t considered carefully. Therefore, here you will learn about the limitations of variables in research methodologies. They are:
1. Adulterated Sample
Variables are based on the sample, if researchers attach subjectivity to the sample, they turn the whole purpose of collecting the sample futile. Further, the entire research will be based on a biased sample.
Hence, the focus of the researcher must be on collecting raw samples as it is, instead of altering them according to their whims.
2. Limited range of Sample
Many times researchers save themselves from doing extra work. So, they keep themselves limited to a small range, which doesn’t help in providing valid conclusions.
Hence, researchers should widen the area of their research, as large samples give accurate results.
3. Lack of Focus on Individual
Researchers often use variables at the group level to get macro conclusions but it is of no use to individuals. As individuals can’t be interpreted based on group findings, every individual is unique with different thoughts and feelings, weight and height etc.
Thus, researchers must always keep individuals as their priority as in the end, research must be helpful for the individuals along with the society.
4. Data Lacks Reliability
Many times just for the sake of completing the research, researchers underplay the relevance of data and just based on assumptions or probability, they consider unreliable data.
When the whole research is based on the data, then researchers should not play with the quality of the data. The focus must be on finding reliable data rather than just picking random or low-quality data.
5. Data Gathering Methods
The reliable data depends on the use of precision data gathering methods. How variables are measured is a point to consider, as it can restrict the ability of a researcher to analyse the conclusions. Therefore, the calculation of variables must be done with adequate measures.
6. Shallow Research
Before considering and measuring the variables, researchers must study the topic in-depth and have a comprehensive knowledge about the demand of the respective topic. Thus, a researcher must do prior research on the topic before drawing any conclusion.
However, variables have been playing a vital role in developing detailed research. Though variables have their limitations they are still helpful to the research and society overall. By working on the given limitations, researchers can use variables optimally.
Conclusion
This insightful blog on the importance of variables in research papers, hopefully, has helped you in finding your answers. From the complete manual to powerful recommendations, experts have crafted the whole thing you need to recognise to understand more about the relevance of variables in research. Still, in need of help? Don’t worry, simply get help from the assignment expert help. This online platform has several expert writers and problem-solving specialists who can act as torchbearers for you through each step of your analysis and help you with useful hints and tricks. So get the guidance and gain first-hand knowledge on the variables and their role in research.
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