Research design refers to the overall strategy that is adopted by researchers in integrating the different components of a study. Different researchers adopt different research designs. This is informed by the research problem. Some of the research designs adopted by researchers include the observational methods and the cause effect studies. The main goal of observational methods is to explore the phenomena of the study. On the other hand, the focus of cause and effect methods is to assess the cause of the phenomena in question. Observations alone helps the researcher to understand a phenomena but does not indicate why such phenomena is the way it is.
Often, it is difficult to identify cause effect in observational methods. This is based on the understanding that there are no subsequent analyses that are carried out by many researchers after the study. At the same time, the observational study aims are not on identifying the cause of the phenomena in question but the identification of how it is. There lacks an explanatory variable and response variable in observational studies. The study lacks the requisite influence. Not only does this method limit the opportunities of cause effect, but it also limits the chances of implementation of the same. Often, observational studies draws conclusion from the comparison of the population under study with the control group. The problem associated with such observational studies is that the party carrying out the observation has no control over the groups in the study. This reduces the ability of the researcher to identify the unique factors that affects the phenomena under investigation.
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In spite of the above limitations, it is clear that an observational study plays an important role in providing insight into the phenomena, laying grounds for further studies. At the same time, it reduces the ethical constraints of setting up a structured research process that involves the participants to the study
