Final answer:
The researcher is likely to employ quantitative research methods to identify the fewest number of variables that have the biggest impact or account for the largest amount of variance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The researcher mentioned in the question is interested in identifying the fewest number of variables that have the biggest impact or account for the largest amount of variance. This suggests that the researcher is looking to conduct a quantitative research. Quantitative research methods involve collecting and analyzing numerical data to identify patterns and relationships between variables. By using statistical techniques, the researcher can determine which variables have the greatest impact.