ABSTRACT
An experimental design is an empirical study which allows for the examination of causal impacts using specific interventions. Traditional experimental designs include randomized control and intervention groups to make every effort to limit the influence of confounding variables. A fundamental limitation of true experiments is the applicability of the findings to the real world and populations with characteristics different from the sample. Conversely, quasi-experimental designs often do not randomly assign subjects to an intervention or control. These designs may be preferential when the goal is to generalize the study findings to a large and highly variable population. Quasi-experimental designs are appropriate in emergency and disaster research because emergency practices must be responsive to people who are diverse with respect to race/ethnicity, age, ability, and other demographic characteristics. This chapter summarizes the history of experimental designs. It describes how to conduct quasi-experimental studies, when these studies may offer a unique perspective, and why experimental or quasi-experimental designs may be useful in disaster management.
