EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Definition of Experimental Research

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
Definition of Experimental
Research
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
Definition of Experimental
Research
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Definition of Experimental Research

Experimental research is a quantitative research that treats

or deals with the
object or subject of the research in a definite or exact manner and
determines the
extent of the effects or influence of the treatment on the
object/subject, then
discovers the causes of such effects. Two groups are involved
in any experimental research: the experimental group, the one
on which the treatment or
influence is applied, and the control group, which does not
receive any treatment.
The objects or subjects involved in these types research are
chosen randomly or selected by chance, rather than by the
decision of the researcher.
Classification

Classification
Experimental research is categorized into two: true experimental
research
and quasi-experimental research. Based on where the
experimental research is
done, it is either laboratory research or field research. Your
manner of selecting the
participants indicates whether it is true experimental or quasi-
experimental. The
true experimental research absolutely uses random selection in
determining who
among the participants should compose the experimental
group or the control group. The quasi-experimental research
adopts a comparative technique in choosing the subjects.

The experimental group on which the treatment or condition is

applied is not chosen randomly but matched or compared
with another group whom you, the researcher, believe as
having the same characteristics as the experimental group
under treatment. Employing researcher’s influence in sampling
or subject selection, quasi-experimental research fails to qualify
as a genuine experimental research. Hence, discoveries or
findings resulting from this kind of experimental research are
susceptible to doubts. (Sharp 2012; Gray 2013)

Research Design of Non-Experimental Research

Any plan you have about a non-experimental research must have
the following aspects that take place in a sequential manner:

1. Specify the problem or topic of your research.

2. Formulate the research problem or hypotheses.
3. Determine the dependent and independent variables.
4. Select the participants or subjects.
5. Decide on the specific type of experimental research; meaning,
whether it will be a true experimental or quasi-experimental
research.

6. Conduct the experiment.

7. Collect, analyze, and interpret the results.
In conducting an experimental research, first, give a pre-test to
examine the initial condition of both groups in relation to a
variable, condition, or factor; second, apply to the control group
a new condition; and third, give the latter group a post-test to
determine the effects or influence of the treatment or
condition applied on them.

There are many ways of letting a variable, factor, or condition

intervene or have
an application on the subjects, and of later determining the
effects of such intervention. Here are some of these methods:
(1) treatment evaluation; and (2) pre-test and post-test of
multiple treatments or conditions. The first one is also called
ex post facto or after the fact; meaning, evaluation comes
after the treatment. Multiple treatment, on the other hand,
makes you apply on the subjects, not just one, but also
varied treatment methods like using books, interview, or
social networking. You resort to this method when you want to
discover the extent of student learning by means of these
sources of data. (De
Mey 2013; Creswell 2013)

Quasi-Experimental Research
Usually, participants chosen in a quasi-experimental research are
those forming
a class that remains as one group incapable of disintegration. The
not randomly
chosen participants are subjected to any of these types of
quasi-experimental research (Muijs 2011):
1. matched comparison – choosing a treatment group and
another group
that has similarities with the treatment
group
2. time-series quasi-experimental research – giving them series
of pre-tests
and post-tests
 3. single-subject quasi-experimental research – controls
treatment and condition
applied to just one individual or a
group

In which field of knowledge does a true experimental

research usually take place? People in hard sciences (Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, and the
like) love to do this kind of research; those in soft sciences
(Psychology,
Sociology, Humanities, Literature, Education, and other subjects
falling under
Social Sciences) usually do quasi-experimental research.
(Gray 2012; Laursen et al. 2010)

NON-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Definition of Non-experimental Research

Non-Experimental research is a way of finding out truths about a
subject by describing the collected data about such subject
and determining their relationships or connections with one
another. Any treatment or condition is not involved in this
type of research. But there is a measuring of variables here;
hence, once you do a non-experimental research, you deal
with both qualitative and quantitative data. Your desire to
discover people’s thoughts, views, feelings and attitudes
about a certain societal issue, object, place, or event causes
you to use non-experimental research.

Characteristics
1. It is incapable of establishing cause-effect relationships;
by itself, it is
able, if it takes place in conjunction with other experimental
and quasi-experimental research methods.

2. It involves various ways of data analysis:


Primary – analysis of data collected by the researcher
himself
 Secondary – examination of data collected by other
people
 Meta-analysis – analysis of data expressed numerically.

Secondary – examination of
data collected by other
people
 Meta-analysis – analysis
of data expressed
numerically
Secondary – examination of
data collected by other
people
 Meta-analysis – analysis
of data expressed
numerically
Secondary- examination of data collected by other
people
Meta-analysis- analysis of data expressed numerically
 3. It uses research method that applicable to both quantitative
and qualitative
data.

It collects data through survey, observation, historical studies,

case studies, documentary analysis, and so on. (Suter 2012;
Sarantakos 2013)

Definition of Survey Research

Many immediately come to think of Survey Research the

moment they hear or read the expression, Non-experimental
research. This is so because Survey research is the most used
non-experimental research in the field of Sociology, Psychology,
and Humanities. Inquiries, investigations, and experiments
also happen in this type of non-experimental research, but in
terms of types and
analysis of data, Survey research follows a standard that is
applicable to social sciences. (Schreiber 2011)

Survey research is a method of research that aims at

knowing what a big number of people think and feel about
some sociological issues. The data it
collects from these people serving as “representatives or
informants” explain or describe the society’s thoughts,
attitudes and feelings towards environmental issues. Although
survey research is a very old research technique that began
in the period of the ancient Egyptian rulers, many still consider
this as a very popular means of social inquiry. (Babbie 2013,
p.383)

The extensive use of survey research is proven by the fact

that more than one-third of published research online in
Sociology, Psychology, and Humanities were done the
through survey research. Usually used by researchers to
study issues affecting a large population, survey research
requires data-gathering techniques such as interview,
questionnaire, online survey, and telephone interview that
primarily consider the size of the group being studied.
(Schutt 2013). Here, the researcher selects a sample of
respondents from a small/large population and provide the
chosen subjects a formalized questionnaire.

Purposes of a Survey Research

1. To obtain information about people’s opinions and feelings
about an issue.
2. To identify present condition, needs, or problems of people in a
short span of time.
3. To seek answers to social problems.
4. To give school officials pointers on curricular offerings,
guidance and counselling services, teacher evaluation, and so on.

Planning a Survey Research

Research
The research design of a survey research is similar to that
of the experimental research, only, that when it comes to
data collection method and instrument, survey research goes
through the following phases:

1. Explanation of objectives clearly

2. Formulation of research questions or hypotheses to predict
relationships
of variables
3. Determination of the exact kind of data referred to by the
hypotheses or
research questions

4. Assurance of the population or group of people to which the

findings
will be applied to
5. Finalization of the sampling method for selecting the
participants
6. Identification of the method or instrument in collecting data;
that is,
whether it is questionnaire on paper, through phone, via
computer, or face-to-
face.

Strengths of Survey Research

Stressing the effectiveness and usefulness of survey research,
Schutt (2013)
gives the following pluses of survey research:

1. Versatility. It can tackle any issue affecting society.

2. Efficiency. It is not costly in terms of money and time,
assuming there is excellent communication or postal system.
3. Generality. It can get a good representation or sample of a
large group of people.
4. Confidentiality. It is capable of safeguarding the privacy or
anonymity of the
respondents.

Here are the weak points of survey research appearing in several

books about this type of quasi-experimental research:

1. It cannot provide sufficient evidence about the relationships

of variables.
2. It cannot examine the significance of some issues affecting
people’s social life.
3. It cannot get data reflecting the effects of the
interconnectedness of environmental features on the
research study.
4. It cannot consider man’s naturalistic tendencies as the basis
of human behaviour unless his ways or styles of living are
related to his surroundings.
5. It cannot promote interpretive and creative thinking unless
its formation of ideas results from scientific thinking.
6. It cannot have an effective application to all topics for
research.
7. It cannot use a questioning or coding method that can
accurately register differences among the participants’
responses
 8. It cannot diffuse the main researcher’s abilities to control and
manipulate some factors affecting the study.
9. It cannot account for real or actual happenings, but can give
ideas on respondents’ views, beliefs, concepts, and emotions.

Ethical Principles and Rules in Survey Research

You are in a Higher Education Institution called college or

university that always considers academic excellence as its
number one goal. Be academically competent by producing
excellent research paper that will mirror not only your
intellectual abilities but your valuing system as well.
Considering the importance of honesty and integrity in
conducting a research paper, keep in mind the following
ethical principles and rules in producing an honest-to-
goodness research paper (Ransome 2013; Corti 2014):
1. Respect whatever decision a person has about your
research work for his participation in your study comes
solely from his or her own decision- making powers.

2. Make sure that your study will be instrumental in

elevating the living conditions of people around you or in
bringing about world progress.
3. Conduct your research work in a way that the
respondents will be safe from any injury or damage that
may arise from their physical and emotional involvement
in the study.
4. Practice honesty and truthfulness in reporting about the
results of your study.
5. Accept the reality that the nature, kind, and extent of
responses to your questions depend solely on the
dispositions of the respondents.
6. Decide properly which information should go public or
secret.
7. Stick to your promise of safeguarding the secrecy of
some information
you obtained from the respondents