EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

DESIGN
 Experimental research
• Experimental research is a study that strictly adheres to
a scientific research design.
• It includes a hypothesis, a variable that can be
manipulated by the researcher, and variables that can
be measured, calculated and compared.
• Most importantly, experimental research is completed
in a controlled environment.
• The researcher collects data and results will either
support or reject the hypothesis.
• This method of research is referred to a hypothesis
testing or a deductive research method
 Experimental research design
 Experimental is most scientifically
sophisticated research method.
 Experimental research design are concerned
with examination of the effect of independent
variable on the dependent variable, where the
independent variable is manipulated through
treatment or intervention(s), & the effect of
those interventions is observed on the
dependant variable.
 What is the Purpose of Experimental
Research?
• Experimental research seeks to determine a
relationship between two (2) variables—the
dependent variable and the independent
variable. After completing an experimental
research study, a correlation between a
specific aspect of an entity and the variable
being studied is either supported or rejected.
• Example
 What type of Data are Collected in
Experimental Research?
• Data in experimental research must be able to be
quantified, or measured.
• Data collected could be acidity/alkalinity, area,
circumference, density, electrical
current/potential/resistance, force, growth (time,
weight, volume, length/width), heat, humidity,
light intensity, mass, pressure, sound intensity,
temperature, time, velocity, volume or weight.
• However, the entity should be carefully observed
qualitatively, or described using words and
photographs.
Pre experimental
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RESEARCH
EXPERIME

DESIGN
PRE –

NTAL
 This research design is considered very weak, because
the researcher has very little control over the experiment

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TYPES OF PRE-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN:
o One-shot case design

o One-group pretest-posttest design

 ONE-SHOT CASE
DESIGN
 In this research design, a single
experimental group is exposed to a

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treatment & observations are made after the
implementation of that treatment.
 There is no random assignment of subjects
to the experimental group & no control
group at all.
Exp. group Treatment Post-test
 ONE-GROUP PRETEST-
 It is thePOSTTEST DESIGN design, where
simplest type of pre-experimental
only the experimental group is selected as the study
subjects.

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 A pretest observation of the dependant variables is
made before implementation of the treatment to the
selected group, the treatment is administered, & finally a
posttest observation of dependant variables is carried
out to assess the effect of treatment on the group.
 Some researcher also argue this design as sub type of
quasi-experimental research design. However in
absence of both randomization & control group.
 This design ethically can not be placed under the
classification of quasi-experimental research design.
 COUNT…

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Exp. group Pretest Treatment Post-test
ADVANTAGES OF PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:
o Very simple & convenient to conduct these studies in natural
settings, especially in nursing.
o Most suitable design for the beginners in the field of

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experimental research.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

o Considered a very weak experimental design to establish
casual relationship between independent & dependant
variables, because it controls no threat to internal validity.
o It has very little control over the research.

o It has a higher threat to internal validity of research, & may

have a selection bias, which can be very serious threats for in
using this particular design.
 TRUE
EXPERIME
NTAL
DESIGN
 CONCEPT…
 True experimental research designs

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are those where researchers have
complete control over the extraneous
variables & can predict confidently
that the observed effect on the
dependable variable is only due to the
manipulation of the independent
variable.
ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS…
 A true experimental research design must essentially
consist of the following three characteristics:

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 Manipulation
 Control
 Randomization
MANIPULATION:
 Manipulation refers to conscious control of
the independent variable by the

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researcher through treatment or
intervention(s) to observe its effect on the
dependent variable.
 In other words, it is a conscious act by the
researcher, where he or she varies the
independent variable & observes the
effect that manipulation has on the
dependant variable of interest.
 COUNT…
 For example, a researcher is conducting a
study on efficacy of cholrhexidine mouthwash

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on the prevention of ventilator-associated
pneumonia (VAP) among patients admitted in
ICUs.
 In this example, chlorhexidine mouthwash is
the dependent variable, which is manipulated
by the researcher, & is used as an
intervention for the experimental group, while
the control group is kept deprived of it to
observe its effect on the incidence of VAP.
 COUN

 The T…
experimental group receives the planned
treatment or intervention & a comparison is
made with the control group to observe the

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effect of this treatment or intervention.
 Generally in health care & nursing research, it
is not ethically feasible keep a control group
deprived of interventions; however, existing
conventional method of interventions may be
compared with experimental interventions.
 QUASI –

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EXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH
DESIGN
 INTRODUCT


ION …
Quasi-experimental research design involves the
manipulation of independent variable to observe to effect
on dependant variable, but it lacks at least one of the two

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characteristics of the true experimental design;
randomization or a control group.
 In other words, quasi-experimental designs have an
element of manipulation but lack at least one of the other
two properties that characterize true experiments;
randomization or a control group.
 Quasi-experimental designs are generally used to
establish the causality (effect of independent variable on
dependent variable) in situations where researchers are
not able to randomly assign the subjects to groups or for
various reasons no control group is available for an
experimental study.
 MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
 Manipulation
… of the independent variables to
observe the effects on the dependant variables.

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 Lack of at least one of the two other essential
characteristics of the true experiment, i.e.
random assignment of subject or a control
group.
 Quasi-independent variables are used instead
of true independent variables. Where
independent variable is not manipulates in
complete controller situations.
TYPES OF QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

 Nonrandomized control group design

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 Time-series design
 NONRANDOMIZED CONTROL

GROUP
It is also known DESIGN control group
as the ‘nonequivalent
design’.
 This design is identical to the pretest-posttest control

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group design, except there is no random assignment of
subjects in experimental & control groups.
 In this design, experimental & control groups are selected
without randomization, & dependent variables are
observed in experimental as well as control groups
before the intervention.
 Later, the experimental group receives treatment & after
that posttest observation of dependant variables is
carried out for both the groups to assess the effect of
treatment on experiment group.
 COUN
T...

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Exp. group Pretest Treatment Post-test

Control group Pretest Post-test

 COUN
 For example, this method was used to study ‘the effects of …
integrated care on quality of work in nursing homes: a quasi-
T
experiment’.
 The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of
integrated care in the nursing home sector, & its effect on the quality

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of work of the caregivers.
 A nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design was used in
this study.
 Data was collected by through a questionnaire.
 The result showed that the intervention appeared to be one
successful on the somatic wards.
 The caregivers of these wards were more successful in creating a
home-like environment for their residents.
 Regarding the effects of the intervention on the quality of work
factors, the result included an increase of social support by
supervision.
 The intervention on the psychosomatic wards was unsuccessful,
through the introduction of integrated care on the somatic wards
was fairly successful.
 TIME-SERIES


DESIGN
This design is useful when the experimenter wants to
measure the effects of a treatment over a long period of time.
 The experimenter would continue to administer the treatment

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& measure the effects a number of times during the course of
the experiment.
 Generally it is a single-subject research, in which the
researcher carries out an experiment on an individual or on a
small number of individuals, by alternating between
administering & then withdrawing the treatment to determine
the effectiveness of the intervention.
Exp.
O1 O2 O3 Treatment O1 O2 O3
group
 COUNT…
A researcher might assess pain levels of a
group of patients with low-back pain. After 3

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weeks of pain assessment, subjects are
taught special exercises to reduce that pain.
During the next 3 weeks, pain levels would
again be measured.
 Measuring a child’s school performance on
a weekly basis, & then introducing a new
teaching technique. Then again measuring
on a weekly basis.
 ADVANTAGES OF QUASI-

EXPERIMENTAL
Quasi-experimental designs are DESIGN
more frequently used
because they are more practical & feasible to conduct
research studies in nursing, where in the absence of a

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large sample size, randomization &/ or availability of
control groups are not always possible.
 This design is more suitable for real-world natural setting
than true experimental research designs.
 It allows researchers to evaluate the impact of quasi-
independent variables under naturally occurring
conditions.
 It may be able to establishing casual relationship.
Wherein some of the hypotheses are practically answered
through this design only.
DISADVANT
OF QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL
AGES
DESIGN

 There is no control over extraneous

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variables influencing the dependant
variables.
 The absence of a control group or lack of
control over the research setting makes the
results of this design less reliable & weak for
the establishment of casual relationship
between independent & dependant
variables.