An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a particular factor is manipulated.
There are five Characteristics of experiments:
1. Observation.
2. Questions.
3. Hypothesis Formulation.
4. Methodology. And
5. Results.
1. Observation: We have heard this word many times. Observation is basically the first step towards any scientific research. It is a way for gathering data through observing the subjects. The researcher has to go to the participants’ environment and observe the way they behave, react and respond to the natural phenomenon.
2. Questions: Questions are the important way to gather primary data. Researcher asks questions to the participants about particular topics or points that he wants to cover while studying the research problem.
3. Hypothesis Formulation: When a researcher picks up a topic to research, he formulates a hypothesis. A hypothesis is nothing but an assumption statement that defines the cause-effect relationship between two or more variables. This statement can be proved true or false, depending on the result of the research.
4. Methodology: Once the hypothesis is ready, the next challenge for the researcher is to choose a proper research design method to run the entire study through. This will depend on how he wants his research to be conducted. Whether the research wants his sample to be assigned randomly, or not, whether there are any control variables, matters a lot while selecting an approach for the research.
5. Results: The final component that defines an experimental design is, of course, the results. After the observations, surveys and interviews and running the research process through any one of the above-mentioned types of research design, the researcher will have the result of the hypothesis testing.
