Final answer:
Quantitative research involves using statistical software like SPSS or Excel to find patterns in numerical data. Data types can be quantitative discrete, like the number of letters in the words of a novel. Excel is very useful for visualizing data to simplify the detection of patterns and relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of finding common patterns in the data often involves the use of statistical software like SPS (likely SPSS) or Excel. In quantitative research, this implies analyzing numerical data to discover trends, correlations, or other meaningful information.
For instance, to find the probability that at least four of 25 patients have the flu, one would use binomial or Poisson distribution models depending on the context of the data. On average, the expected number of patients with flu out of 25 can be calculated based on the probability of a patient having the flu.
Regarding the collection of data types, if a student records the number of letters in the first 250 words of a Tom Clancy novel, they are collecting quantitative discrete data because the number of letters in a word is countable and distinct.
Tools like Excel are excellent for condensing detailed numerical information into graphs and charts, highlighting patterns and relationships in the data which might not be easily observable from raw figures alone. Statistical measures such as frequency can provide insights about how often values occur within a data set.