Paper Summary:

This paper defines the experimental design process that is used when a time priority exist in a causal relationship, the cause precedes the effect, there is a consistency in a causal relationship and the magnitude of the correlation is great. Next, the author reviews issues of research problem identification, sampling, the pilot study and independent and dependent variables. The paper concludes by comparing quantitative and qualitative research designs. Several quotations are included in the paper.

Table of Contents:
Literature Review
The Research Process
Experimental Design Process
Definition of Experimental Research
Identification of Research Problem
Sampling
Pilot Study
Independent and Dependent Variables
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Designs

From the Paper:

"Experimental research is used when a time priority exist in a causal relationship and one in which the cause precedes the effect and when there is a consistency in a causal relationship meaning that a cause will always result in the same effect and finally where the magnitude of the correlation is great.
"Experimental research has a broad range of definitions applied toward describing it however, in the strictest since experimental research is what is termed a 'true experiment' and is an experiment "where the researcher manipulates one variable, and control/randomizes the rest of the variables." Experimental research has a control group and the subjects are selected through a random process and are randomly assigned between the groups of the study with the researcher testing only one effect at a time.
"Experimental research is widely defined as a 'quasi experiment' "where the scientist actively influences something to observe the consequences. Most experiments tend to fall in between the strict and the wide definition. A rule of thumb is that physical sciences, such as physics, chemistry and geology tend to define experiments more narrowly than social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, which conduct experiments closer to the wider definition.""

Sample of Sources Used:

• Experimental Research (2009) Experimental Resources. Online available at: http://www.experiment-resources.com/experimental-research.html
• Yin, Robert K. (1994), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Applied Social Research Methods Series, Vol. 5, Sage Publications Inc.
• Naslund, Dag (2005) The White Space of Logistics Research: A Look at the Role of Methods Usage. Journal of Business Logistics. 1 Jan 2005. Online available at: http://www.allbusiness.com/transportation-warehousing/1060164-1.html
• Congdon, Justin D. and Dunham, Arthur E. (1999) Defining the Beginning: The Importance of Research Design. Research and Management Techniques. No. 4, 1999. Online available at: http://www.experiment-resources.com/experimental-research.htm
• Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. (1989), "Building Theories from Case Study Research," Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 532-550.

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