Difference between Descriptive Research and Experimental Research

Descriptive research and experimental research are quantitative research and in this article, we will discuss about the difference between descriptive and experimental research.

Descriptive Research

The aim of descriptive research is to describe topics like population, phenomenon, or situation in a systematic way. The questions that can be answered through this research are what, where, when, and how. This research does not answer the why questions. Different types of research methods are used for descriptive research.

Methods of Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is a type of quantitative research and the research has to be done in such a way that the results are accurate. There are many methods that are used to conduct descriptive research and we will discuss them in detail.

Survey

A large amount of data can be collected with the help of surveys. Surveys can be used in the following ways −

• Demographics of a place can be described
• Getting the opinions of the public on different topics like politics
• Know about the satisfaction of a product or a service offered by an organization

Observations

You can gather data related to behaviors and phenomena with the help of observations. These observations depend on the honesty and accuracy of the people who have to answer your questions. Professionals who use this method are social researchers, market researchers, and psychologists.

Case Studies

A case study is related to a particular subject in which detailed data is gathered for the identification of a subject. Interesting cases are written in a case study in which complexity is added and assumptions are challenged.

Characteristics of Descriptive Research

Descriptive research has many characteristics and we will discuss some of them here.

Quantitative Research

This is a type of research in which such data is collected that can be counted. This data is used for statistical analysis. This type of research is beneficial for getting data which helps in describing the nature of the demographic segment.

Uncontrolled Variables

This is a characteristic of descriptive research in which no emphasis is given to any variables. The research is conducted with the help of observational methods.

Cross-Sectional Studies

This is a characteristic in which a study is conducted on different sections that belong to the same group.

Importance of Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is conducted for the following benefits −

• Get information about a particular population
• The gathered information can be used for future research
• The gathered information is also useful to make decisions for the future
• Replication of the descriptive research is easy

Experimental Research

Experimental research is a type of research that is based on any scientific topic. Two sets of variables are used to conduct this type of research. The first set of variables acts as a constant which is used to differentiate the second set of variables.

Types of Experimental Research Design

Experimental research design is of the following types −

• Pre-experimental research design
• True experimental research design
• Quasi-experimental research design

Pre-Experimental Design

This is a type of design in which a single or more than one group is observed by implementing the cause and effect. This research is conducted to know whether further research is necessary or not.

True Experimental Design

This is a type of experimental design which is based on statistical analysis. The aim of this experiment is to approve or reject a hypothesis.

Quasi Experimental Design

Quasi means similarity and this design has similarity with the true experimental design. The difference between both of them depends upon the assignment of a control group.

Importance of Experimental Research

Experimental research is conducted to know the relationships between cause and effect and it has a lot of importance. Many scientific and academic studies can be conducted with the help of this research. Another field where experimental research can be used is psychology. Research is used to know about human behavior and also about different types of disorders.

Difference between Descriptive Research and Experimental Research

There are many differences between Descriptive Research and Experimental Research which can be found in the table below −