What broad categories fall under nonexperimental research?

Nonexperimental research is characterized by the absence of manipulation of variables, allowing researchers to observe and analyze relationships without intervening in the subjects' conditions. The broad categories of nonexperimental research primarily include ex post facto and correlational studies.

Ex post facto research investigates relationships between variables after they have already occurred, meaning that the researcher looks back in time to analyze effects in hindsight. This is particularly useful in fields where experimentation is not feasible or ethical. Correlational studies explore the relationships between two or more variables to determine if they are associated, without establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.

Together, these categories emphasize the observational nature of nonexperimental research, focusing on identifying patterns or correlations rather than manipulating variables to observe outcomes. Other categories, such as descriptive and exploratory, can sometimes overlap with nonexperimental research but do not specifically focus on the types of design emphasized in this context.