List the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological studies and experimental studies

Answer 1

Epidemiological studies research the incidence, distribution, and control of disease within a population. Epidemiological studies include cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. They are beneficial in that they help researchers to narrow down possible causes of disease and they can raise other, relevant questions about the disease through the research process. Alternatively, epidemiological studies cannot control the variables that may influence the development or prevention of a disease, and they cannot prove cause and effect. Experimental studies test cause-and-effect relationships between variables. Experimental studies include laboratory-based studies-on animals or in test tubes (in vitro)-and human intervention (or clinical) trials. They are beneficial because they can control conditions of the study, they can determine the effects of a variable, and they can apply some of their effects to humans. However, experimental studies cannot generalize their findings to humans and they often must refrain from certain treatments due to ethical reasons.