ABSTRACT
The following is an example of the most structured kind of evaluation design. The randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental study has always been popular with ‘scientific’ research, as it appears to deal with ‘hard facts’ rather than subjective opinions. It is good for testing theory or for generating theory as it identifies variables for manipulation and measurement. However, it is often criticized as being totally unnatural, as what happens in a laboratory situation is not likely to happen in ordinary life. Often true experiments are impossible even in principle. This breastfeeding study illustrates a quasi-experimental design with pre-and post-intervention groups: one receiving a ‘telemedicine link’ and the other acting as a ‘control’. The groups are naturally occurring and allocation to them is not under the control of the evaluator.
