In which of the following research strategies is the dominant orientation of the role of theory in relation to research deductive?

The quantitative research strategy takes a predominantly deductive orientation to theory.

In it theory comes first and guides the inquiry.

Hypotheses are derived from existing theory before data are gathered.

Data are then collected to test and possibly confirm those hypotheses.

This top-down movement from theory to observation is deduction.

Qualitative research, by contrast, tends to build theory inductively from data.