The Quasi-experimental study is determined in science as actual interventional research applied to evaluate the effect of an intervention on the focused population with no accidental assigning Experiments like that are usually subject to matters connected with intrinsic validity, as the groups within the provided treatment and control may not be matched at the primary level.
The key advantage is that all the factors are easily controlled in the process of investigation. If to compare quasi-experiments with true traditional experiments, you will discover that the last one very often finds it difficult or unpractical to control all the essential factors which actually can significantly influence the interesting phenomena. Consequently, the results might be unclear. That is why it so essential to define quasi-experimental study and understand its necessity in the today’s world.
Hereafter, you will get acquainted with this fantastic method of study to learn more in-depth about its advantages and disadvantages and comprehend the principle of its work.
It is undoubtedly interesting to get more information on what is a quasi-experimental study and how actually it works in, for example, medicine and psychology. This type of study includes a wide range of intervention researchers with absolutely nonrandomized nature. The designs these studies encompass are very often applied when it is not possible for some obvious reasons or ethical to perform an unordered controlled workout.
To find only one quasi-experimental study definition is illogical as it is an extremely comprehensive process with a lot of nuances. Still, its purpose is obvious – to carry out a detailed examination of the cause of particular phenomena. There are several key features this study traditionally has when implemented in medicine:
Speaking about quasi-experimental study level of evidence, you should understand first of all that levels of evidence are used to determine a hierarchical order for different designs on the ground of their intrinsic validity. The following studies are accepted as research designs with the validity of lower level.
The quasi-experimental study design is considered to be as one which bears a resemblance to an experimental design but does not have the main constituent – random assignment. With the due account for internal validity, they frequently look inferior to randomized tests.
Within social sciences, research representatives decided to divide quasi-experimental studies into several groups:
In the framework of all these types of designs implemented in different scientific areas, it is important to understand what is a study design in research and what does it include? Well, it is the combination of specific methods and complicated procedures applied in the process of gathering and analyzing arrangements of the unstable factors determined in the investigation problem research.
There are various types of studies concerning design. We can distinguish here descriptive, saturation, observational, survey, semi-experimental and many other types and subtypes. A wide range of quasi-experimental study designs allows answering many interesting and problematic questions scientists have currently when dealing with various researches.
There are many widespread examples of a quasi-experimental study in medicine and psychological area. This method of investigation is commonly applied in the social studies to generate findings for broad trends, and researches do it easily even without a primary selection of people to specific groups.
Let’s take such an example, where it is necessary to specify the impact of strong drinks on the embryos when a pregnant woman uses it. And it is not a secret that it really has a harmful effect. A clear experimental design would encompass that pregnant women were randomly assigned to use the alcoholic drinks. Of course, in real life, it would be absolutely unlawful as we are aware of the possible harm such kind of study might cause to the embryos.
Therefore, the experimentation experts simply question women about the amount of alcohol they drank during the period of their pregnancy and only after that assign them to particular categories. The quasi-experimental pattern is frequently combined with subject studies of an individual approach; all the presented findings and numerical data often enhance the results when analyzing the problem, allowing in such a way to implement the statistical analysis.
Moreover, quasi-experimental study psychology is also prevalent and useful when to speak about the evaluation of social variable factors. The intrinsic weak spot in the methodology does not influence the feasibility of the figures, as far as they are acknowledged and suggested for during the general process of investigation.
So, as you see the studies like these have many positive sides and at the same time some deficiencies, but still it is considered helpful in medicine and social sciences.