This document discusses different types of nonexperimental research designs. It describes descriptive research design which observes phenomena naturally without manipulation. Descriptive designs are univariant, exploratory, or comparative. Correlational design examines relationships between variables without manipulation, using prospective or retrospective approaches. Developmental design considers phenomena over time using cross-sectional or longitudinal methods. Nonexperimental designs are useful when manipulation is impossible or unethical, and observe real-world situations, though relationships are less clear than experimental designs.

2. INTRODUCTION…
 Nonexperimental research design is one of the broad
categories of research designs, in which the researcher
observes the phenomena as they occur naturally.
 It is a research design in which variables are not
deliberately manipulated, nor is the setting controlled.
 In nonexperimental research, researchers collect data
without making changes or introducing treatments.

3. NEED OF NONEXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
 The studies or research situations where it is not
practically possible to conduct experiments.
 The studies in which it is unethical to manipulate the
independent variable, i.e. manipulation may cause
physical or psychological harm to subjects.
 Descriptive-type studies that do not require any
experimental approaches.

4. TYPES OF NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
DESIGN
Descriptive Design
Univariant descriptive design
Exploratory descriptive design
Comparative descriptive design
Correlational design
Prospective design
Retrospective design
Developmental Research Design
Cross-sectional design
Longitudinal design
Survey Research Design

5. DESCRIPTIVE
RESEARCH
DESIGN

6. INTRODUCTION…
 The purpose of descriptive studies is to
observe, describe, & document aspects of a
situation as it naturally occurs,
 Sometimes to serve as a starting point for
hypothesis generation or theory development.

7. MAIN FEATURES…
 Are used to observe, document, & describe a
phenomenon occurring in its natural setting without any
manipulation or control.
 Are designed to gain more information about
characteristics within a particular field in the real world.
 Do not involve the manipulation of variables, &
variables are studies as they exist in the real world.

8. MAIN FEATURES…
 May be used to develop theories, identify problems
with current practices, make judgments, or determine
practices in similar situations.
 In descriptive studies, bias is prevented through
operational definitions of variables, large sample size,
valid & reliable research tools, & appropriate data
collection methods.

9. TYPES OF DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN
1. Univariant descriptive design
2. Exploratory design
3. Comparative design

10. 1. Univariant descriptive design
 Univariant descriptive designs are undertaken to
describe the frequency of occurrence of a
phenomenon.
 This design does not necessarily focus on the
study of a single variable; there may be one or
more variables involved in the study.

11. 1. Univariant descriptive design
 For example, a researcher is interested in assessing the
experiences of patients suffering from rheumatoid
arthritis.
 In this study, the researcher may describe the frequency
of different symptoms experienced by the patients &
the type of treatment they received during the course of
disease, etc.

12. 2. Exploratory design:
 Exploratory design is used to identify, explore, &
describe the existing phenomenon & its related
factors.
 In other words, it is not only a simple description or
the frequency of occurrence of a phenomenon, but
its in-depth exploration & a study of its related
factors to improve further understanding about a
less-understood phenomenon.

13. 2. Exploratory design:
 For example, an exploratory study to assess the
multifactorial causes of falls & home safety measures for
elderly people living in selected communities in the city
Mehsana.

14. 3. Comparative design:
 Comparative design involves comparing &
contrasting two or more samples of study subjects on
one or more variables, often at a single point of time.
 This design is used to compare two distinct groups on
the basis of selected attributed such as knowledge
level, perceptions, & attitudes; & so on.

15. 3. Comparative design:
 For example, ‘A comparative study on health problems
among rural & urban older people in Nepalgunj.

16. CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
DESIGN

17. INTRODUCTION…
 This is a nonexperimental design, where researcher
examines the relationship between two or more
variables in a natural setting without manipulation or
control.
 In other words, it is a research design where
researchers study the relationship of two or more
variables without any intervention.
 For example, this design was used for ‘A correlational
study on the effect of smoking on lung cancer among
people in Nepalgunj.

18. MAIN FEATURES…
 In correlational studies, the researchers examine how
change in one variable is correlated with change in the
other variable.
 Generally, correlational studies have independent &
dependent variables, but the effect of independent
variable is observed on dependant variable without
manipulating the independent variable.

19. Count…
 For example, this design was used in ‘a correlational
investigation of the study habits & visual acuity
among school children studying in selected schools in
Nepalgunj’. In this study, study habits are the
independent variable, while visual acuity is the
dependent variable.
 In epidemiological language these studies are known
as cause & effect study, where cause & effect
relationship is investigate in natural settings without
imposing experimental interventions.

20. TYPES OF CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
DESIGN
1. Prospective research design
2. Retrospective research design

21. 1. Prospective research design:
 A design in which the researcher relates the present to
the future is a prospective research design .
 Prospective studies start with a presumed cause &
then go to presumed effects.
 In this research design , researcher observes
phenomenon from cause to effect.
 Prospective designs are often longitudinal, but may
also be cross sectional.

22.  for example, a researcher conducting ‘a prospective
correlational study on effect of maternal infection
during pregnancy on foetal development & pregnancy
outcome .’
 In this study, the researcher starts by collecting data
from pregnant women regarding any history of
infection among women during their current
pregnancies, next observes foetal development &
pregnancy outcome, & finally analyses the relationship
of maternal infection during pregnancy & foetal
development & pregnancy outcome.

23. 2. Retrospective research design:
 A design in which the researcher studies the current
phenomenon by seeking information from past is a
retrospective research design.
 In this the researcher links the present phenomenon
with the past events.
 In other words, the researcher has a backward
approach to study a phenomenon, where he or she
moves from effect to identify the cause.

24.  For example, this design was used in ‘a retrospective
correlational study on substance-abuse-related high-risk
factors among traumatic head injury patients admitted in
neurosurgery ICU of Geetanjali Medical College &
Hospital, Udaipur’.
 In this study, the researcher first approached head injury
patients, & then tried to identify the number of head
injuries that occurred under the influence of substance
abuse.

25. DEVELOPMENTAL
RESEARCH
DESIGN

26. INTRODUCTION…
 Developmental research design examines the
phenomenon with reference to time.
 Developmental research designs are generally used as
adjunct research designs with other research designs
such as cross-sectional-descriptive, longitudinal-
correlational research designs.

27. TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTAL
RESEARCH DESIGN
1. Cross-sectional design
2. Longitudinal design

28. 1. Cross-sectional design:
 Cross-sectional research design is one in which researcher
collects data at particular point of time (one period of data
collection).
 These studies are easier & more convenient to carry out.
 For example, a researcher is interested in assessing the
awareness on swine flu among people of an area.
 Here the researcher interacts only once to collect awareness-
related data from respondents.

29. 2. Longitudinal design:
 Longitudinal research design is used to collect data over
an extended time period (long-time study).
 Its value is in its ability to demonstrate change over a
period of time.
 For example, a researcher in interested in the perception
of nursing students towards nursing profession from the
beginning of nursing programme to its end.
 In this example, it is appropriate to use the longitudinal
research design to study this phenomenon.

30. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL
RESEARCH
DESIGN
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31. CONCEPT…
 Epidemiology is the study to investigate the distribution &
causes of the diseases in population.
 Therefore, epidemiological studies are generally
conducted to investigate causes of different diseases in
either prospective approaches (causes to effect) or
retrospective designs.

32. Cohort studies:
• In this design, a longitudinal approach is used to
investigate the occurrence of a disease in existing
presumed causes.
• For example, a researcher longitudinally observes the
smokers for development of lung cancer.
Case-control studies:
• In this design, causes of a disease are investigated after
the occurrence of a disease.
• For example, a researcher investigates the history of
smoking in patients diagnosed with lung cancer.

33. ADVANTAGE OF NONEXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH DESIGN
 Nonexperimental research designs tend to be closest to real-
life situation.
 Nonexperimental research designs are most suitable for the
nursing research studies..
 Numerous human characteristics are inherently not subject
to experimental manipulation (e.g. blood type, personality,
health beliefs, medical diagnosis, etc.)

34. ADVANTAGE OF NONEXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH DESIGN
 There are many variable that could technically be
manipulated, but manipulated is forbidden on ethical
grounds.

35. DISADVANTAGES OF NONEXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH DESIGN
 The relationship between the dependent & independent
variable can never be absolutely clear & error-free.
 Nonexperimental studies are conducted for comparative
purposes using nonrandomly selected groups, which may
not be homogeneous & tend to be dissimilar in different
traits or characteristics, which may affect the
authenticity & generalizability of the study results.

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