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Difference Between Descriptive and Experimental Research

The main difference between descriptive and experimental research is that the descriptive research describes the characteristics of the study group or a certain occurrence while the experimental research manipulates the variables to arrive at conclusions.

Descriptive research and experimental research are two types of research people use when doing varied research studies. Both these research types have their own methods that facilitate the researcher to gain maximum outcomes.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Descriptive Research      – Definition, Aim, Methods 2. What is Experimental Research      – Definition, Aim, Methods 3. What is the Difference Between Descriptive and Experimental Research       – Comparison of Key Differences

Descriptive Research, Experimental Research, Research

What is Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is a type of research that studies the participants that take part in the research or a certain situation. Descriptive research does not limit to either of quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead, it uses elements of both, often within the same study. Therefore, a descriptive researcher often uses three major ways to collect and analyse the data. They are observations, case studies and surveys.

Descriptive studies are aimed at finding out “what is,” therefore, observational and survey methods are frequently used to collect descriptive data (Borg & Gall, 1989). Thus, the main focus of descriptive research is to answer the question ‘what’ with concern to the study group. Moreover, descriptive research, primarily concerned with finding out “what is,” that might be applied to investigate the particular study group or the situation. Therefore,  descriptive research does not give answers to the cause and effect of the particular occurrence that is studied. 

Therefore, descriptive research assists to make specific conclusions regarding situations such as marketing products according to the needs of the customers, to estimate the percentages of units in a specified population according to a certain behaviour, etc. Some examples of descriptive researches include population census and product marketing surveys.

What is Experimental Research?

Experimental research is the research study where the scientist actively influences something to observe the consequences. Experimental research uses manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal processes. Therefore, in this type of research, the researcher manipulates one given variable and controls the others to come to a conclusion.

This type of research typically includes a hypothesis, a variable that can be manipulated, measured, calculated and compared. Eventually, the collected data and results will either support or reject the hypothesis of the researcher. Therefore, one could call this research type as a true experiment.

In this research type, the researcher manipulates the independent variables such as treatment method and teaching methodology, and measures the impact it has on the dependent variables such as cure and student comprehension in order to establish a cause-effect relationship between these two variables. Therefore, this research type can answer the questions of cause, effect and results, thus, making it possible to make hypothetical assumptions based on the gathered data. Therefore, unlike descriptive research which answers’ what is’, experimental research answers the question ‘what if’. Therefore, usually, this type of research uses quantitative data collection methodology.

Evidently, this type of research is mostly conducted in a controlled environment, usually a laboratory. Experimental research is mostly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, etc.

Descriptive research is the type of research where characteristics of the study group or a certain occurrence are described while experimental research is the research type that manipulates variables to come to a conclusion. This is the main difference between descriptive and experimental research.

Descriptive research is useful in gathering data on a certain population or a specific occurrence while experimental research is useful in finding out the cause-effect of a causal relationship, correlation etc

The aim of the descriptive research is to describe the characteristics of the study group, thus answering the question ‘what is’ while the aim of the experimental research is to manipulate the given variables so as to support or reject the assumed hypothesis. Hence it answers the question ‘what if’.

Type of Studies

Descriptive research typically includes sociological and psychological studies while experimental research typically includes forensic studies, biological and other laboratory studies, etc.

Data Collection

Descriptive research uses both qualitative and quantitative methodologies while experimental research primarily uses quantitative methodology.

Descriptive and experimental research are two significant types of research. Both these research types are helpful in analysing certain occurrences and study groups. The main difference between descriptive and experimental research is that descriptive research describes the characteristics of the research subject while the experimental research manipulates the research subject or the variables to come to a conclusion. Similarly, descriptive research answers the question ‘what is’ while experimental research answers the question ‘what if’.

1. “Descriptive Research.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 June 2018, Available here . 2. “WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH?”, The Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technologies, Available here . 3. ” Descriptive Research Design: Definition, Examples & Types” Study.com, Available here . 4. “Experimental Research – A Guide to Scientific Experiments.” Observation Bias, Available here . 5. Wattoo, Shafqat. “Experimental Research.” LinkedIn SlideShare, 3 Feb. 2012, Available here .

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Upen, BA (Honours) in Languages and Linguistics, has academic experiences and knowledge on international relations and politics. Her academic interests are English language, European and Oriental Languages, Internal Affairs and International Politics, and Psychology.

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Difference between Descriptive Research and Experimental Research

Descriptive research is a method that focuses on detailing and explaining the characteristics of the subject being studied. It aims to answer questions about who, what, where, and when regarding the topic. On the other hand, experimental research is a scientific method used to test a theory or hypothesis by manipulating certain variables and observing the effects. This approach typically involves comparing an experimental group, which experiences the manipulation, with a control group that does not.

Descriptive Research

Descriptive research refers to research which describes a phenomenon or else a group under study and it is easy to do in social sciences due to manipulating variables. It is mainly useful for gathering data on a certain population, situations and events. Descriptive research is more towards collecting data and try to find out some insight out of that data using statistical analysis.

Example of descriptive research includes population census and product marketing surveys etc.

Experimental Research

Experimental research refers to research where the researcher manipulates the variable to come to an conclusion or finding and it is difficult to do in social sciences due to manipulating variables. It is useful in finding out the cause effect of a casual relationship and correlation. Experimental research is also do this same sort of analysis but also it always analyzes where the data of an experiment comes from.

Example of experimental research includes laboratory experiments.

Frequently Asked Questions on Descriptive Research vs Experimental Research – FAQs

1. what is the difference between descriptive correlational and experimental research.

Experimental research uses the independent variable to determine how it impacts the dependent variable, whereas descriptive correlational research simply describes the relationship between variables.

2. Is descriptive research qualitative or quantitative?

Descriptive research is typically classified as a sort of quantitative research, but qualitative research can also be utilized for descriptive purposes.

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A comparison of descriptive research and experimental research

Quantitative research refers to data present in numeric form. When collected using a primary method , it uses statistical data collected by means of a questionnaire (Apuke, 2017). The purpose of quantitative research is to emphasize the collection of objective data in order to assess a social phenomenon. There are different types of quantitative research such as survey research, correlational research, descriptive research, experimental research, and causal-comparative research.

Descriptive research

Descriptive research is the research design in which data is collected in a qualitative manner and analyzed using quantitative procedures (Nassaji, 2015). Descriptive research refers to the scientific methodology in which observation of the sampled population is carried out in its natural surrounding. Descriptive research methodology intends to find out ‘what’ related to a phenomenon. In this method, data are collected qualitatively and analyzed through a quantitative method. Data is collected through methods like survey, interview, correlation study, observation study, or content analysis. Moreover, the observer does not intervene in this observation process or influence any of the variables of the study (Lambert and Lambert, 2012). 

Application of descriptive research

The use of descriptive research is mostly restricted to areas like education, nutrition, epidemiology . This is because it centers on the premise that certain problems can be resolved and practices can be improved by observation analysis, and description (Koh and Owen, 2000). Furthermore, this form of research methodology finds its most use in studies that are exclusively restricted to facts rather than hypothetical scenarios. Hence, a major feature of descriptive research is that it is restricted to examining facts and the researcher does not make any additional attempt to find out why the reality occurs in a particular form (Jong and Voordt, 2002).

For example, research to find out the demotivating factors in a Japanese classroom. The descriptive method is the most suitable method where the students can be observed in their natural classroom settings. Data can be collected from all or some of the students through a questionnaire-based survey method. Statistical analysis of the collected data will reveal demotivating factors such as attitude of teachers, nature of textbooks, school facilities, group attitude, etc.

Experimental research

Experimental research is a scientific methodological framework in which the researcher uses a set of variables for studying a given phenomenon. In this method, some of the variables are kept constant and others are altered in order to meet pre-determined research objectives (Mildner, 2019). This type of methodology is used in studies in which accuracy of statement is considered immensely important in the context of explaining cause and effect relationships of a particular phenomenon or issue.

Application of experimental research

Experimental research design is applicable in areas that are high in causal (or internal) validity, i.e. when a researcher wants to understand the cause-and-effect relationship between variables (Tanner, 2018). In experimental research, hypothesis is framed and tested. This type of research is considered to be the most thorough but suffers from lack of validity. This is because often the variables can be manipulated or controlled (Gravetter and Forzano, 2009).

For example, research to find out the effect of absenteeism on students’ academic performance. The researcher hypothesizes can be high absenteeism is directly related to poor academic performance. Experimental research is suitable in this case, as the researcher can survey 250 students of a university to examine the hypothesis.

The challenges of experimental research design include unnaturalness of the research situation because in this method calibrated situations are usually developed by the researchers for carrying a study. Therefore, it is often difficult to apply the study findings to a real-life situation.

Extensions of experimental research

Another type of research is quasi-experimental research, which is similar to pure experimental research, however, it is high in validity as there is no manipulation of variables, and respondents are not selected randomly. It is used mainly in medical studies. All the types of researches share some similarities as well as differences. A researcher must closely review the pros and cons of each type in order to choose the one which is most suitable for his study.

• Apuke, O. D. (2017) ‘Quantitative Research Methods : A Synopsis Approach’, Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review . Al Manhal FZ, LLC, 6(11), pp. 40–47. doi: 10.12816/0040336.
• Gravetter, F. J. and Forzano, L.-A. B. (2009) Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences . Belmont: Cengage Learning.
• Jong, T. M. de and Voordt, D. J. M. van der (2002) Ways to Study and Research Urban, Architectural and Technical Design . Delft: DUP Science.
• Koh, E. T. and Owen, W. L. (2000) ‘Descriptive Research and Qualitative Research’, in Introduction to Nutrition and Health Research . Berlin: Springer.
• Lambert, V. A. and Lambert, C. E. (2012) ‘Qualitative Descriptive Research: An Acceptable Design’, The Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research , 16(4), pp. 255–256.
• Mildner, V. (2019) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders Experimental Research . Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781483380810.n242.
• Nassaji, H. (2015) ‘Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis’, Language Teaching Research , 19(2).
• Tanner, K. (2018) Experimental Research . Chandos Publishing.
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Descriptive Research vs. Experimental Research

What's the difference.

Descriptive research and experimental research are two different approaches used in scientific studies. Descriptive research aims to describe and explain a phenomenon or behavior without manipulating any variables. It focuses on observing and documenting what is happening in a natural setting. On the other hand, experimental research involves manipulating variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships. It involves the use of controlled conditions and random assignment of participants to different groups. While descriptive research provides valuable insights into a particular topic, experimental research allows researchers to establish causal relationships and make predictions. Both approaches have their own strengths and limitations, and the choice between them depends on the research question and objectives.

Further Detail

Introduction.

Research is a fundamental aspect of the scientific method, allowing us to gain knowledge and understanding of various phenomena. Descriptive research and experimental research are two common approaches used in research studies. While both methods aim to gather information and provide insights, they differ in their objectives, designs, and data collection techniques. In this article, we will explore the attributes of descriptive research and experimental research, highlighting their similarities and differences.

Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is a type of research that aims to describe and explain the characteristics of a particular population or phenomenon. It focuses on observing and documenting existing conditions, behaviors, attitudes, or relationships without manipulating any variables. Descriptive research often involves surveys, interviews, observations, or existing data analysis.

One of the key attributes of descriptive research is its emphasis on providing a detailed and accurate portrayal of the subject under investigation. Researchers aim to collect data that represents the population or phenomenon as accurately as possible. This approach allows for the exploration of patterns, trends, and associations within the data.

Descriptive research is particularly useful in situations where the researcher wants to gain a better understanding of a specific population or phenomenon. For example, a researcher may conduct a descriptive study to examine the demographic characteristics and preferences of a target market for a new product. By collecting and analyzing data, the researcher can identify key trends and make informed decisions based on the findings.

Furthermore, descriptive research is often conducted in natural settings, allowing researchers to observe and document behaviors and interactions as they naturally occur. This approach enhances the external validity of the findings, making them more applicable to real-world situations.

However, one limitation of descriptive research is that it does not establish cause-and-effect relationships. While it can identify associations and correlations between variables, it cannot determine causality. This is where experimental research comes into play.

Experimental Research

Experimental research is a scientific method that involves manipulating one or more variables to observe the effect on another variable. It aims to establish cause-and-effect relationships by controlling and manipulating the independent variable(s) while measuring the dependent variable(s). Experimental research often involves the random assignment of participants to different groups or conditions.

One of the key attributes of experimental research is its ability to control and manipulate variables. By manipulating the independent variable(s) and controlling extraneous variables, researchers can isolate the effects of the independent variable(s) on the dependent variable(s). This control allows for the establishment of causal relationships, providing stronger evidence for the impact of certain variables.

Experimental research is particularly useful when researchers want to investigate the effects of specific interventions, treatments, or manipulations. For example, a researcher may conduct an experiment to determine the effectiveness of a new teaching method on student learning outcomes. By randomly assigning participants to different groups, such as a control group and an experimental group, the researcher can compare the outcomes and draw conclusions about the impact of the teaching method.

Furthermore, experimental research often involves rigorous data collection techniques, such as pre- and post-tests, to measure the changes in the dependent variable(s) before and after the manipulation. This allows researchers to quantify the effects and analyze the statistical significance of the results.

However, one limitation of experimental research is that it may not always be feasible or ethical to manipulate variables in certain situations. For example, it may not be possible to conduct experiments on certain social or environmental phenomena. In such cases, descriptive research can provide valuable insights without the need for manipulation.

Similarities

While descriptive research and experimental research differ in their objectives and designs, they also share some similarities. Both approaches involve systematic and scientific inquiry, aiming to gather data and provide insights into various phenomena. They both require careful planning, data collection, and analysis to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.

Additionally, both descriptive research and experimental research can utilize quantitative or qualitative data collection methods. Surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations can be used in both approaches, depending on the research questions and objectives. The choice of data collection method often depends on the nature of the research and the availability of resources.

Moreover, both descriptive research and experimental research contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields. Descriptive research provides a foundation for understanding and describing phenomena, while experimental research allows for the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships. Together, these approaches complement each other and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of various phenomena.

Descriptive research and experimental research are two distinct approaches used in research studies. Descriptive research focuses on describing and explaining the characteristics of a population or phenomenon, while experimental research aims to establish cause-and-effect relationships by manipulating variables. Both approaches have their own strengths and limitations, and the choice of method depends on the research questions, objectives, and feasibility. By understanding the attributes of descriptive research and experimental research, researchers can select the most appropriate approach to address their research inquiries and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields.

Comparisons may contain inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. Please report any issues.

How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ Essay

Introduction, qualitative research, historical research, descriptive research, experimental research.

Research can be defined as a scientific and methodological investigation in search of knowledge, to gain facts, new ideas, come up with theories, or solve existing problems.

There are different types of research, including qualitative research, historical research, experimental research, and descriptive research. This paper examines how these four types of research differ from each other.

Qualitative research cuts across many academic disciplines, including, Biology Sociology, Education, Anthropology, History, and Medicine, among others (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). According to these writers, this kind of research encompasses different methodologies, and all of them have two things in common.

One of the things is that they focus on natural phenomenon, that is “the real world”, and the second thing is that they study the complexity of the phenomena in detail (p.135). Researchers who dwell in qualitative research observe objectivity in their studies, and they are not subjective, opinionated, or impressionable.

According to these researchers, despite that, this methodology is most appropriate in studying physical things; it cannot be practical in studying human events. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2009), this kind of research, does not have a “single ultimate truth”, (p. 139) and every person’s perceptions holds equal validity as those for others.

As it pertains planning and nature of a problem of an issue under study, qualitative research formulates general questions as well as common research problems (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.136). According to Leedy & Ormrod (2009), qualitative research studies can serve various purposes including interpretation of different phenomena, description of the issues of studies, evaluation for judgement purposes and verification of validity of the issue of study (p. 136-137).

History consists of streams of events and evolutionary nature of human beings and their institutions (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.164). It deals with the meaning of both present and past events, with hope of discerning prototypes that unite them. Historical research involves interpretation of facts rather than a mere amassing.

Accordingly, a historical researcher does not just describe events that happened; rather it entails a description of events and the factual reasons behind their happening (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.164). According to Leedy and Ormrod, this kind of research is not limited to historians; but also psychologists, anthropologists and those in linguistics, among other disciplines (p. 164).

Some data sources such as interviews give life to history, but even though, recollection of an interviewee is not always accurate. It is only when there is a coincidence amongst various people recollecting on a certain event, that a researcher can have confidence in that information (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.164).

Descriptive research involves the identification of characteristics of a phenomenon or exploring differences among dissimilar phenomena (Leedy and Ormrod, 2009, p. 182). It observes a situation as it appears, without any modification. Descriptive research considers advance planning of the study, with thorough attention to details, substantial amount of time, as well as conducting reconnaissance of the area of study.

According to Leedy and Ormrod (2009), this research involves observatory studies, developmental designs, survey research, and correlation research (p.182). As much as possible, the researcher has to be objective in the study he/she is undertaking. Thus, the need to use strategies such as defining the behaviour of study, subdividing the period of observation into small parts, use of scales for rating using different people, is inevitable (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.183).

Experimental research analyzes the cause and effect relationships, by identifying various factors that influence a certain incidents (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p. 223). Experimental research designs consist of both dependent and independent factors. According to Leedy & Ormrod (2009), the researcher analyzes the extent of influence of one variable against another.

These authors also describe this kind of research as multi-disciplinary, cutting across various subjects, including psychology and medicine, among others (p. 224). It largely considers internal validity, which is very instrumental in drawing conclusions of a cause-effect relationship (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p. 223).

Leedy, P.D & Ormrod, J.E. (2009). Practical research: planning and design (9th ed.). New Jersey, NJ: Pearson.

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IvyPanda. (2019, March 30). How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-qualitative-research-historical-research-descriptive-research-and-experimental-research-differ/

"How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ." IvyPanda , 30 Mar. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/how-qualitative-research-historical-research-descriptive-research-and-experimental-research-differ/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ'. 30 March.

IvyPanda . 2019. "How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ." March 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-qualitative-research-historical-research-descriptive-research-and-experimental-research-differ/.

1. IvyPanda . "How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ." March 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-qualitative-research-historical-research-descriptive-research-and-experimental-research-differ/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "How Qualitative Research, Historical Research, Descriptive Research, and Experimental Research Differ." March 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-qualitative-research-historical-research-descriptive-research-and-experimental-research-differ/.

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Descriptive vs experimental research

• October 7, 2021

Exclusive Step by Step guide to Descriptive Research

Get ready to uncover the how, when, what, and where questions in a research problem

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Descriptive research and experimental research are both types of quantitative research. Quantitative research refers to the process of analyzing data in its numeric form. The objective of quantitative research is to examine social phenomena by collecting objective data. 

But there is a difference in the way descriptive research and experimental research are performed and the insights they deliver. We will explore how different the two research types are from one another. 

Before we jump into exploring descriptive vs experimental research, let’s define the two types.

What is Descriptive Research?

Descriptive research is a method to describe the demographics of the research variables. The demographics being “why, what, when, how” regarding the subject variable. Rather than limiting its approach to qualitative or quantitative, descriptive research is mostly observational. The reason being obvious, the variables are not influenced by any external variables and are observed to derive results from it. 

Descriptive research aims to statistically analyze the data collected through observations and surveys or case studies. The variables that are being observed are not controlled. As descriptive research digs out the patterns in the data, it helps researchers get future insights depending on the pattern. 

Methods of descriptive research:

• Observation – as the name suggests, this includes observing a variable in the study. It can be qualitative or quantitative in nature. Quantitative observations will give data that is numerically represented, whereas qualitative observations are more brief and long to analyze. 

For example, a company owner decides to implement new soft skill training among the employees. After the training is over he observes their speech and performance to figure out how effective the training program was. 

• Surveys – are the most common form of gathering feedback from the customers. This includes questionnaires regarding the topic which the responders will answer. It can be conducted online as well as offline and provides vast areas of channels to circulate them through. 

The main advantage of surveys is that it gets your hands on large amounts of data in a short time span. 

For example, a company owner wants to get feedback on a recent meeting. He will ask both open-ended as well as close-ended questions.

• Case studies – it is a deep study of an individual or group. It helps your frame hypothesis or theories. As it studies a natural phenomenon, researchers’ biases are avoided. Another reason is, a not-so-genuine responder. It would be unfair to study this responder who is a lot different from the general population and then generalize his results to the entire population. 

For example, a company owner studies an employee who travels far to come to the office. He may have a different experience with his traveling and its effect on his work, then the other employees. 

What is Experimental Research?

Experimental research is a scientific approach to dealing with two or more variables. It is basically an experiment conducted to bring out the cause-effect relationship between those variables. 

The experiment has two groups, a treatment group, and a control group. A researcher starts an experiment by keeping a problem statement in mind, and that includes a control variable. The treatment group undergoes the changes that the researcher wants to experiment with, and the control group doesn’t go through any treatment. At the end of the experiment, the researcher concludes how the independent variable affects the dependent variable when the course is changed. 

Experimental research aims to help you make meaningful insights out of the gathered data. It is useful in testing your hypothesis and making decisions about it. Experimental research is said to be successful when the manipulation of the independent variable brings about a change in the variable that is under study. 

Methods of experimental research:

Pre-experimental Design

It is sort of a dry run before a true experiment takes place. It studies one or two groups when they are put under the researcher’s treatment. This gives an idea of whether the treatment will solve the problem at hand or not. And if yes, then what is the right way to carry out the experiment when it actually takes place. 

The 3 kinds are; 

• One-shot case study research design
• One-group pretest-posttest research design
• Static group comparison 

[Related read: Pre-experimental Design ]

True-experimental Research Design  

It is hypothesis-testing research, which at the end of the study, will either support or refute the hypothesis. You can say this research is based on the foreground of the pre-experimental research. 

True experiments work on hypothesis testing with the help of independent and dependent variables, pre-testing and post-testing, treatment groups and control groups, and control variables. In addition to that, the samples are selected at random. 

For example, a teacher wants to know the average maths marks of her class. She will randomly select students to take the math test. 

Quasi-experimental Research  

It is similar to a true experiment but surely not the same. Just like true experiments, it also includes independent and dependent variables, pre-tests and post-tests, and treatment and control groups. 

The major difference is that it does not include randomization of samples and control variables. As a result of which, the participants are assigned to the experimental groups through a study that decides which participants to put in which experimental group. 

For example, a teacher wants to know how her class is doing in math, but more importantly, she wants to study the students that have an average score on a math test. So she will select only those students who have an average score in math. 

Descriptive Vs. Experimental Research

Definition .

Descriptive research is a method that describes a study or a topic. It defines the characteristics of the variable under research and answers the questions related to it. 

Whereas experimental research is a scientific approach to testing a theory or a hypothesis using experimental groups and control variables. 

Descriptive research will help you gather data on a subject or understand a population or group. 

Experimental research will help you establish a cause-effect relationship between two or more variables. 

Descriptive research aims towards studying the demographics related to a subject group. Experimental research aims to test hypotheses and theories, which include cause-effect variables. 

Descriptive research is sociological and psychological in nature. 

Experimental research uses a more scientific experimental approach to test the problems. 

Both of them differ in terms of external interventions. Descriptive research doesn’t face any, while experimental research has control variables. 

Method to gather data

In descriptive research , the study can be done by collecting qualitative and quantitative data types. 

But when it comes to experimental research , the data has to be quantitative in nature. 

Descriptive Vs. Experimental Research: Comparison Chart

Conclusion;

Despite falling under the types of quantitative research, descriptive research & experimental research differ significantly. This concludes all points of difference between the two research types. Next time you have to decide which research method, you can refer to this blog.

Wondering what will be the cost of conducting survey research using Voxco?

The main difference between the two is that – descriptive research is a qualitative or quantitative approach dedicated to observing the variable demographics under its natural habitat. While experimental research includes a scientific quantitative approach to test hypotheses and theories using control variables.

One example can be, a software company wants to develop a new shopping application. For that, they will observe the regular shopping experiences of the customers and what are current options they are preferring. Second example can be a researcher who wants to study social media experiences for different people belonging to different age groups.

Two things that will differentiate the two prime research methodologies can be:

• Descriptive research deals with observation and no external intervention while experimental research totally depends on the intervention. This intervention is caused by manipulation of the independent variable. 
• The use of descriptive research is done when you want to observe a certain group or an individual while experimental research is used when you have a theory and you want to test it out by experimenting on the variables. 

For instance, a new teaching strategy for math is tested for its effects. A random selection of students is done to undergo the special training for the subject. At the end of the training, results of the math tests are compared with the results before the training program. This will let the management know how effective the training is. 

• It has dependent and independent variables that give the cause-effect relationship between the variables. 
• It has pre-test and post-test study to compare the results of the experiment before the treatment and after the treatment. 
• Random sampling helps both the treatment group and control groups to have equal quality of participants. 

As descriptive research is an observational and experimental research is, well, experiment based, both have their own importance depending on the research problem. Use descriptive research when you just have to observe a group in its environment and develop an understanding on the subject. Use experimental research when you have to test a hypothesis or establish a cause-effect relation between two or more variables. 

Experimental research includes independent and dependent variables, it compares the pretest and post-tests while including randomization of samples and control variables. While non-experimental research doesn’t have randomization of the samples and it doesn’t manipulate the independent variables even if it is about establishing causal relationships between the variables. 

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Neag School of Education

Educational Research Basics by Del Siegle

Types of Research

How do we know something exists? There are a numbers of ways of knowing…

• -Sensory Experience
• -Agreement with others
• -Expert Opinion
• -Scientific Method (we’re using this one)

The Scientific Process (replicable)

• Identify a problem
• Clarify the problem
• Determine what data would help solve the problem
• Organize the data
• Interpret the results

General Types of Educational Research

• Descriptive — survey, historical, content analysis, qualitative (ethnographic, narrative, phenomenological, grounded theory, and case study)
• Associational — correlational, causal-comparative
• Intervention — experimental, quasi-experimental, action research (sort of)

Researchers Sometimes Have a Category Called Group Comparison

• Ex Post Facto (Causal-Comparative): GROUPS ARE ALREADY FORMED
• Experimental: RANDOM ASSIGNMENT OF INDIVIDUALS
• Quasi-Experimental: RANDOM ASSIGNMENT OF GROUPS (oversimplified, but fine for now)

General Format of a Research Publication

• Background of the Problem (ending with a problem statement) — Why is this important to study? What is the problem being investigated?
• Review of Literature — What do we already know about this problem or situation?
• Methodology (participants, instruments, procedures) — How was the study conducted? Who were the participants? What data were collected and how?
• Analysis — What are the results? What did the data indicate?
• Results — What are the implications of these results? How do they agree or disagree with previous research? What do we still need to learn? What are the limitations of this study?

Del Siegle, PhD [email protected]

Last modified 6/18/2019

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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.

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.

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

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