Research Method

Survey

does not involve direct observation by a researcher

used in the social and natural sciences

self-report method of data collection

Experimintal

used in all scientific disciplines

Highly controlled conditions

experimental studies are done in laboratory

Correlation

non experimental, descriptive method

impractical and/or unethical

cannot prove causation

Case Study

involves an in-depth descriptive record

involves only a single individual or just a few

detailed contextual view of an individual's life or of a particular phenomen

Naturalistic observation

non experimental approaches used in real-life settings

observing behavior which normally occurs

descriptive method without the controlled conditions

Takes a long time