Different Study Types

Question 1

Causal Claim

Answer 1

A claim that the treatment causes the effect. Only valid if the study was an experiment.

Question 2

Experiment

Answer 2

A study in which a researcher attempts to understand the effect that an explanatory variable may have on the response variable, by controlling the conditions of the study.

Question 3

Observational Study

Answer 3

A study in which a researcher attempts to understand the effect that an explanatory variable may have on the response variable, without having any control over the variables.

Question 4

Poll

Answer 4

A systematic collection of data, where opinions on issues are taken by questioning a sample of people in order to determine the opinion distribution of the population.

Question 5

Survey

Answer 5

A systematic collection of data taken by questioning a sample of people in order to estimate a population parameter.