Question

what are the key short-comings of most quasi experiments?

Answer 1

The important shortcomings of Quasi-experimental studies are:

• Randomization is not possible.

Randomization is not possible in Quasy-experimental studies, thereby limiting the study’s ability to conclude a causal association between an intervention and its relative outcome.

• These studies are highly subjected  to biases

Since Quasi-experimental studies are highly subjected to biases, it  may be limited by carefully planning the design and its analysis. Hence, researchers should be highly aware of the biases that may occur in these studies which may ultimately brings loss of internal validity, especially selection bias in which the intervention group may differ from the baseline group.

Mainly the types of selection bias that may occur in quasi-experimental studies include maturation bias, regression to the mean, instrumentation bias, historical bias and the Hawthorne effect.

• Removal of null or negative findings

Reporting bias is highly prevalent in this studies, where the researchers usually go for publishing quasi-experimental studies with positive findings and do not publish any null or negative findings.

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