Dr. Mansour Amini (School of Languages, Literacies & Translation)
23 July 2026 (Thursday)
9.00 am-12.00 pm
This talk provides an overview of experimental and non-experimental research designs, with the aim of helping participants make informed methodological choices in their research. It begins by clarifying the role of research design in linking research questions to appropriate methodological approaches, followed by an overview of the research design continuum ranging from experimental and quasi-experimental studies to non-experimental quantitative and qualitative approaches. The session then examines experimental designs in detail, including key principles such as manipulation, control, and randomization, as well as common true experimental and quasi-experimental structures, along with their strengths and limitations in establishing causal inference. This is followed by a systematic exploration of non-experimental designs, including descriptive, correlational, comparative, survey-based, longitudinal, and major qualitative methods, highlighting their applications in real-world research contexts. The session concludes with a comparative analysis of experimental and non-experimental approaches, emphasizing issues of validity, feasibility, and ethical considerations, and providing a practical framework for selecting appropriate designs based on research questions and objectives, supported by interactive examples and discussion.