SMILE
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Unit 4: Research designtest tubes image

Experimental research

  • It is associated with the natural sciences
  • It is regarded as the gold standard
  • It allows the establishment of cause and effect
  • What about experimental design and social research?
    • It is difficult to manipulate the variables of interest, for example, a socio-economic group
  • There are ethical issues

Classic experimental design

  • Researchers randomly allocate subject to either an experimental or control group
  • Pre-test both
  • An experiment performed on the experimental group
  • Post-test on both

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SMILE - Research design by Learning from WOeRk, University of Plymouth modified by Marion Kelt, Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License