How can you tell when to use a field study instead of a controlled expirement?
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Here are 2 sites that you must download because they are pdf files:
1. insitu.lri.fr/~mackay/pdffiles/HCI98.Commentary.pdf
2. www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1991...
When the hypoteheses cannot be feasibly verified or contradicted by a controlled experiment, you might do a field study, assuming that one can be set up. Once obtained, results from a field study might be verified by controlled experiments.
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
Determining whether to use a field study or a controlled experiment depends on the research objectives, the nature of the phenomenon being studied, and the level of control needed over variables. Here are some considerations to help you decide:
1. Research question: Determine the specific question you want to answer. Field studies are typically used to explore complex, real-world phenomena, while controlled experiments are designed to test specific cause-and-effect relationships.
2. Real-world context: If the phenomenon you want to study occurs naturally in the real world and cannot be easily replicated in a controlled setting, a field study is more appropriate. For example, studying animal behavior in their natural habitat would require a field study.
3. Level of control: Consider the extent to which you need to control variables. In a controlled experiment, researchers directly manipulate and control variables to observe their effects. In contrast, field studies involve observing variables in their natural environment, where many factors can be beyond the researcher's control.
4. Generalizability: If you seek to generalize findings to a broader population or setting, a field study may offer better external validity. Controlled experiments are generally more focused on establishing cause-and-effect relationships within a controlled setting and may have limited generalizability.
5. Ethical considerations: Field studies are often used when direct manipulation of variables may be impractical, unethical, or not feasible due to the nature of the research question. For example, studying the long-term effects of environmental factors on human health would be unethical to manipulate artificially.
It's important to note that field studies and controlled experiments are not mutually exclusive. Researchers often use a combination of both methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon. Ultimately, the choice between a field study and a controlled experiment depends on the specific research objectives, constraints, and the nature of the phenomenon being studied.