LABORATORY RESEARCH: WHAT IT STUDIES, TYPES, ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES - DUDAS - 2024

The laboratory research or laboratory work is a kind of research into the methodology used in scientific research. The investigative process takes place within a place equipped with instruments and equipment, which help to study the object by controlling the variables and conditions that have influence.

Laboratory research starts from a premise or hypothesis that answers and / or describes certain phenomena. Through experimentation, researchers manipulate the variables found within said phenomenon in order to find a relationship between them.

In laboratory research, one tries to control to the maximum the variables that intervene in the object of study. Source: pixabay.com

The variables that can be manipulated within the laboratory are called independent, and those that undergo some modification as a result of the manipulation of the independent variables are called dependent.

Depending on the results obtained in the experimentation process, the hypothesis can be confirmed or denied.

What does laboratory research study?

Like all research methods, laboratory work seeks to generate knowledge. Specifically, laboratory research seeks to study phenomena and processes that occur in nature.

This study is carried out in a controlled environment and involves the manipulation of the variables that affect and are present in the phenomena to be studied.

In this way, a fact can be obtained that gives an explanation to the processes under study; This fact must be observable, measurable and reproducible in order to confirm its validity.

Types

Within laboratory research we can find different types that will vary according to the research design under which they are governed. Below we describe the most relevant:

Post-test design

In this type of design we work with two different groups: an experimental group and a control group.

Before the start of the tests, no member of the groups was measured or manipulated. The experimental group will be the one that will go through a process of manipulating variables, while the control group will remain unchanged.

Once the experimentation in the corresponding group is finished, the results are compared with the control group; in this way, thanks to the comparison, the changes that occurred can be seen.

Pre-test design

In this case, we work in the same way with two different groups, one experimental and one control. However, this time the independent variable of both groups is measured before starting the manipulation of the experimental group.

After manipulation, both groups are measured again; The objective is to observe the effect that the manipulation of the independent variable produced on the dependent variable.

Design of the four groups of Solomon

In this design, we work with four different groups, which are subdivided into two experimental groups and two control groups. Two groups will be examined prior to the independent variable manipulation process: one will be experimental and the other will be control.

Once the experimentation is carried out, the four groups are measured and the dependent variables of each one are compared.

This method results from the mixture of the first two methods and is carried out mainly to mitigate the error associated with the measurements.

Factorial design

The manipulation of two or more independent variables is carried out simultaneously, in order to observe the effect they have on the dependent variable. With this design it is possible to consider more than one hypothesis of the same study phenomenon at the same time.

Random block design

Sometimes there are significant differences between the experimentation conditions and the samples, which makes it necessary to use a large number of experimental and control groups.

In these cases, a random scheme can be proposed: different groups are created, and the manipulation and conditions of the variables change from one group to another.

For example, let's take a case of experiments with medications: we want to determine the effects on children of three different cough medications.

The doctor might want to separate the group of children (sample) into age blocks. Thus, for the same sample there will be different conditions, which will influence the result of the dependent variable after the independent variable has been modified.

Criss-cross design

In this type of experimentation, a single group is created, which will be both control and experimentation.

The manipulation of variables occurs on more than one occasion. The samples that will be manipulated for consecutive times (that will serve as an experimentation group) and those that will not be manipulated again (that correspond to the control group) are randomly assigned.

Advantage

- Laboratory work is the most accurate way of testing hypotheses by reaching causal conclusions (cause / effect), since it is possible to determine the relationship presented by the variables of the object of study.

- Facilitates the manipulation of variables by determining which are dependent and which are independent within the process.

- It is a type of research easily replicable in a wide variety of disciplines.

- The results are repeatable, so they can be easily checked and verified.

- Since there is a control in the conditions and variables, better results can be obtained.

- It allows the creation of conditions that in nature can take a long period to happen, so that the results can be anticipated.

Disadvantages

- The creation of controlled situations and environments may not always represent those that occur in real life. This is mainly due to the control of the variables, which may not happen in real situations.

- As controlled situations do not always adhere to what happens in real life, the results obtained in experimentation may not be real indicators of what would happen in uncontrolled natural environments.

- Human error in measurements and manipulations represents a key factor in the validation of the results.

- There may be certain variables that the researcher is not taking into consideration when applying the tests, so it is possible that not all of them are considered when determining the relationships between the dependent and independent variables.

- The validation of the results obtained in the experimentation could be applicable only in the samples considered; however, they may not be generalizable to larger samples.

- Experimentation is a perfect kind of investigation to determine the causality of phenomena and process; however, this does not help us in defining why it occurs.

References

1. Garces, Hugo. "Scientific Research" (2000). Abya-Yala Editions. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 in Digital Repository: digitalrepository.unm.edu
2. Center for Innovation Research and Teaching. Review of Experimental Research at Grand Canyon University. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 at Grand Cayon University: cirt.gcu.edu
3. Center for Innovation Research and Teaching. "Types of Exprimental Research" at Grand Canyon University. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 at Grand Cayon University: cirt.gcu.edu
4. Center for Innovation Research and Teaching. "Benefits and Limitations of Experimental Research" at Grand Canyon Universtiy. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 at Gran Cayon University: cirt.gcu.edu
5. Well, Eramis "Scientific research: theory and methodology" (2003) at the National University of Education Enrique Guzmán y Valle. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 at the Enrique Guzmán y Valle National University of Education: postgradoune.edu.pe
6. Choker, Pedro. "What is the scientific method?" (2019) in Diario ABC. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 in Diario ABC: abc.es
7. Pérez, José. "Variables in the scientific method" (2007) in Scielo Peru. Retrieved on July 23, 2019 in Scielo Peru: scielo.org.pe