ABSTRACT
In nonexperimental studies, researchers observe or collect information from participants without trying to change them. Surveys or polls describe the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of a population. To conduct a survey or poll, researchers draw a sample of a population, collect data from the sample, and then make inferences about the population. In correlational research, researchers are interested in the degree of relationship among two or more quantitative variables. By contrast, in qualitative research, researchers gather data that must be analyzed through the use of informed judgment to identify major and minor themes expressed by participants. In historical research, information is examined in order to understand the past. Note that good historical research is not just a matter of developing a chronological list of so-called facts and dates. In other words, by reviewing historical evidence, such as newspapers or other archival documents of the past, researchers are able to develop theories that may explain historical events and patterns.
