Research Design

Question 1

a. What is meant by a cross-sectional research design?

Answer 1

A cross-sectional (Survey) design entails the collection of data on more than one case (usually quite a lot more than one) and at a single point in time in order to collect a body of quantitative or quantifi able data in connection with two or more variables (usually many more than two), which are then examined to detect patterns of association

Question 2

51. What are the main strengths of a comparative research design? .

Answer 2

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Question 3

b. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of doing a survey in comparison with doing an intervention study, such as, design of experiments.

Answer 3

Advantages of Cross-Sectional Study
The advantages of cross-sectional study include:
• Used to prove and/or disprove assumptions
• Not costly to perform and does not require a lot of time
• Captures a specific point in time
• Contains multiple variables at the time of the data snapshot
• The data can be used for various types of research
• Many findings and outcomes can be analyzed to create new theories/studies or in-depth research
Disadvantages of Cross-Sectional Study

The disadvantages of cross-sectional study include:
• Cannot be used to analyzed behavior over a period to time

• Does not help determine cause and effect
• The timing of the snapshot is not guaranteed to be representative
• Findings can be flawed or skewed if there is a conflict of interest with the funding source.
• May face some challenges putting together the sampling pool based on the variables of the population being studied

Experimental Design

Benefits and Advantages:
• Experimental research is the most appropriate way for drawing causal conclusions, regarding interventions or treatments and establishing whether or not one or more factors causes a change in an outcome. This is largely due to the emphasis in controlling extraneous variables. If other variables are controlled, the researcher can say with confidence that manipulation independent variable caused a changed in the dependent variable.

• It is a basic, straightforward, efficient type of research that can be applied across a variety of disciplines.
• Experimental research designs are repeatable and therefore, results can be checked and verified.
• Due to the controlled environment of experimental research, better results are often achieved.
• In the case of laboratory research, conditions not found in a natural setting can be created in an experimental setting that allows for greater control of extraneous variables. Conditions that may take longer to occur in a natural environment may occur more quickly in an experimental setting.
• There are many variations of experimental research and the researcher can tailor the experiment while still maintaining the validity of the design.
Limitations and Disadvantages:
• Experimental research can create artificial situations that do not always represent real-life situations. This is largely due to fact that all other variables are tightly controlled which may not create a fully realistic situation.
• Because the situations are very controlled and do not often represent real life, the reactions of the test subjects may not be true indicators of their behaviors in a non-experimental environment.
• Human error also plays a key role in the validity of the project as discussed in previous modules.
• It may not be really possible to control all extraneous variables. The health, mood, and life experiences of the test subjects may influence their reactions and those variables may not even be known to the researcher.
• The research must adhere to ethical standards in order to be valid. These will be discussed in the next module of this series.
• Experimental research designs help to ensure internal validity but sometimes at the expense of external validity. When this happens, the results may not be generalizable to the larger population.
• If an experimental study is conducted in its natural environment, such as a hospital or community, it may not be possible to control the extraneous variables.
• Experimental research is a powerful tool for determining or verifying causation, but it typically cannot specify “why” the outcome occurred.