Non-experimental or statistical methods, as the name specifies, are designs and methods frequently used when the study does not include an independent variable. Instead, the researcher observes and examines the phenomena’ circumstances to acquire knowledge.
Using Non-Experimental Research
When the researcher has no explicit study question about a causal relationship between two variables and manipulating the independent variable is difficult, this research is used. Some specific conditions are as follows:
- Individuals cannot be assigned to conditions at random.
- The subject of the research is a causal relationship, but the independent variable cannot be altered.
- Research is broad and exploratory.
- The study is concerned with a non-causal link between variables.
Non-Experimental Research Types
The key non-experiment research is cross-sectional, correlation, and observational research.
Cross-sectional research
Cross-sectional research compares two or more previously existing groups of persons using the same criteria. This method is non-experimental because the groups are not chosen randomly, and the independent variable is not modified.
Correlational Research
The correlational study compares the statistical relationship between two variables. A correlational study is classified as non-experimental because the independent variables are unchanged.
After the study, the researcher will determine if these two factors are positively connected, negatively corrected, or have no correlation.
Observational Research
Observational research focuses on monitoring a research subject’s behavior in a natural or laboratory situation. It is characterized as non-experimental because no independent variables are manipulated.
Difference Between Experimental and Non-experimental Research #
Changing variables and randomly allocating participants to conditions are all part of experimental study. Experimental research designs are employed in both medical and social science because they can determine the cause. In experimental study designs, control, and validity are tightly enforced. Even though they need a significant amount of resources, they can produce some quite interesting results.
On the other hand, non-experimental research is often descriptive or correlational, with no particular changes made by the researcher. Non-experimental research can not establish the causal nature because of the confounding nature of another variable, which research/evaluation can’t control.
Non-experimental Research and Evaluation Typology
Non-experimental evaluation, as opposed to experimental research, occurs during the study when the researcher cannot control, affect, or alter the participants and must rely on interpretation or observations to conclude. The key non-experimental evaluation design are:
Single group post-test-only design: In this design, beneficiaries/clients of the intervention are measured only after the intervention. Participants, for example, can be asked what the impact of the intervention was.
Single group pretest/post-test design uses pre-and post-test measures on a single group. For example, when measuring the impact of an SHG program, pre-and post-test measures may be collected on the average savings and income of the SHG group members.
