Differentiate descriptive, historical, correlational, and experimental Essay

Differentiate descriptive, historical, correlational, and experimental research methods. Provide clear definitions of each. Use examples that point out the fact - Essay Example This approach is designed to assemble quantitative data that answers questions regarding a population status and hypotheses testing. Descriptive research usually uses interviews, surveys, and natural observation to gain numerical data, which can be processed over a short-run or longitudinal period of time. Once the "technique for describing, organizing, and summarizing numerical data" is consummated, the numerical data is statistically analyzed using "mean, mode, median, variance, standard deviation, range, percentage, frequency and rank" (Quarterman et al pp 230, 2005). An organization wants to numerically define types of purchases for a selected demographic. One technique is to create a survey questionnaire that reflects specific and non-biased qualitative questions with numerical responses. Once the questionnaire is distributed and received back, the numerical data is analyzed using the descriptive statistics Quarterman describes. This is a cross-sectional method because it only deals with one instance, however if the organization wishes to follow participants through a time line, the research is considered longitudinal. The benefit of descriptive research method is that it generates a numerical value to answer a qualitative question. This can be used to test hypothesis, to find averages, and to create a measurement that can be analyzed to describe a state of being for a population. The cons of descriptive research are sample and measurement errors where a samples responses are incorrectly delivered, construed, answered or analyzed. In the above example if the organization incorrectly sends the questionnaire to the wrong demographic, the responses would be seriously negligent of the description they are trying to analyze, and the responses would be virtually useless. This method analyzes past information and the resolutions or irresolution associated with an event that has already occurred by