A researcher is conducting a study to determine the relationship between education level and income in a specific region. Which category of quantitative research methods does this study exemplify?

The study conducted by the researcher is an example of correlational research, which is a type of quantitative research method. In this type of research, the goal is to find out if there is a relationship between two variables, in this case, education level and income. The researcher will gather numerical data about people's education and their income to see if higher education generally leads to higher income. For instance, the researcher might find that people with a college degree earn more money than those who only have a high school diploma. This helps us understand how education might influence income, but it does not prove that one causes the other.