Targeted literature searches are a fundamental part of writing clinical manuscripts that will meet the standards of high-quality journals and contribute meaningfully to evidence-based practice. When physicians write clinical manuscripts, utilizing a targeted literature search can identify high-quality, relevant, and current evidence. While a general literature review is useful, a targeted literature search is specific to the clinical question and should be completed through frameworks established, such as PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) and PRISMA [1].

Pre-Experimental Research Design: Overview and Types

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Pre-Experimental Research Design: Overview and Types

Pre-Experimental Designs – Table of Contents

Table of Content

1. Pre-Experimental Designs
2. Types of Pre-Experimental Research Designs
3. Advantages and Disadvantages
4. Conclusion

A pre-experimental research design is an early quantitative research design to examine possible cause-effect relations without the rigor of true experimental designs. Some researchers will even note that it is a pre-experimental design, sometimes in a pilot study so that a feasibility study can be completed, or at least some information could be gathered before larger scale research. [1]

1. Pre-Experimental Designs

They are less complicated, less expensive, and quicker to carry out than true experiments; however, they have higher bias risk and internal validity. They are often used for preliminary research prior to investment in more rigorous studies. [1]

No randomization
Often no proper control group
High risk of threats to validity (like history, maturation, testing effects)

2. Types of Pre-Experimental Research Designs

One-Shot Case Study: A single group that is exposed to a treatment and the outcome is measured right afterward.
ne-Group Pretest: Post-test Design Measured the participants prior to treatment, then measure again after the treatment to see if the treatment had any effect.
Static Group Comparison: Two groups are compared to see the outcome of the groups, one that received the treatment, and the second group did not receive the treatment.

2.1. One-Shot Case Study

One-Shot Case Study

Example of One-shot case study

X ⟶ O
Sample ⟶ Treatment (X) ⟶ Observed (O)

2.2. One-Group Pretest

The one-group pretest–post-test design is a design based on the influence of a pre-experimental research design which only includes a single group and is examined before and after treatment/intervention is received. The major strength in this design is that it allows researchers to evaluate the extent of change associated with the treatment, but it still provides no type of control group for making convincing causal statements. [3]

One-Group Pretest

Example of One-Group Pretest

O₁ X O₂

O₁ = Pretest (before treatment) X = Treatment or intervention O₂ = Post-test (after treatment)

2.3. Static Group Comparison

The static group comparison design (also called “post-test-only non-equivalent group design”) is a pre-experimental design where two separate groups are compared one group will receive the treatment, and one group will not; and measure outcomes after the treatment.

In true experiments, groups are randomly assigned therefore, in the case of static group design the groups may be different in ways that may be unrelated to the treatment. [4]

Static Group Comparison

Example of Static Group Comparison

Pretest

➝

Treatment

➝

Post-test

3. Advantages and Disadvantages

Pre-Experimental Designs

Advantages of Pre-Experimental Designs	Disadvantages of Pre-Experimental Designs
Simple, quick, and inexpensive to implement. Good for pilot studies to explore potential relationships. Useful when randomization is not possible. Helps in generating hypotheses for more rigorous future studies.	Weak internal validity (results may be influenced by other factors). Cannot establish strong cause-and-effect conclusions. Susceptible to bias, maturation effects, and history effects. Often not generalizable due to small, non-random samples.

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Conclusion

Pre-experimental designs are research exploration methods meant to test ideas, not necessarily to prove. They can be simply executed, and errors may happen, given the absence of controls in true experimental designs. Researchers often follow pre-experimental methodologies with quasi- or true experimental design formats to permit stronger conclusions.

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References

Gurjar, N. R. (2024). Effect of educational program on knowledge and self-care behavior among arthritis patients: Pre-experimental research design. International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing, 52(101038), 101038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijotn.2023.101038
One-shot case study. (2024, October 30). Docmckee.com; Adam McKee. https://docmckee.com/cj/docs-research-glossary/one-shot-case-study-definition/
Knapp, T. R. (2016). Why is the one-group pretest-posttest design still used? Clinical Nursing Research, 25(5), 467–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1054773816666280
Rozema, J. J., Van Dyck, D. E. M., & Tassignon, M.-J. (2006). Clinical comparison of 6 aberrometers. Part 2: statistical comparison in a test group. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 32(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrs.2004.11.052