A brief teaching note on research interview as a research method in social science

A brief teaching note on research interview as a research method in social science (information from perplexity.ai) [for MBA and Housing Studies students]

My question 1: "Briefly highlight the main ideas of quasi-experiment as a research method in social science with reference to the following topics: (1) favored research philosophy, (2) favored research method design techniques, (3) favored research method design quality criteria, (4) favored data analysis techniques, and (5) favored researcher's impression management approach in conducting the quasi-experiment."

The reply: "Quasi-experiment as a social science research method can be summarized under the given topics as follows:

(1) Favored research philosophy: Quasi-experimental research aligns with a realist and pragmatic philosophy. It aims to establish causality in naturalistic settings where true randomization is impractical or unethical, balancing realism (high ecological validity) with some level of control to infer cause-effect relationships.

(2) Favored research method design techniques: Quasi-experiments typically use non-equivalent groups, pretest-posttest designs, interrupted time series, regression discontinuity, and natural experiments. They rely on selecting comparison groups without random assignment and use designs that approximate experimental conditions despite practical constraints.

(3) Favored research method design quality criteria: Key criteria focus on internal validity (managing confounds since random assignment is absent) and external validity (real-world applicability). Strategies include matching groups on key covariates, statistical controls (e.g., regression), use of longitudinal data, and robustness against threats to validity to strengthen causal inference.

(4) Favored data analysis techniques: Analysis often involves propensity score matching, interrupted time series analysis, regression analysis, t-tests, and correlational methods to address confounding and approximate causal effects. Methods aim to control for bias due to lack of randomization and isolate treatment effects statistically.

(5) Favored researcher's impression management approach: In conducting quasi-experiments, researchers adopt rigorous design transparency and statistical control to manage impressions about validity and credibility. They emphasize matching, controlling for confounders, and openly addressing limitations to sustain trustworthiness and reduce skepticism about causal claims.

In summary, quasi-experimentation in social science pragmatically balances realistic natural settings with methodological rigor to infer causality, employing non-randomized designs, sophisticated statistical controls, and transparent reporting to maintain research quality and credibility."

My question 2: "

The reply: "