方法对比

	比较横断面研究	因果比较研究
领域	研究设计	研究设计
方法族	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
起源年份	Mid-20th century (widely formalized from 1950s onward)	1964
提出者	Epidemiological tradition; formalized in observational study typologies	Fred N. Kerlinger
类型	Observational quantitative design	Non-experimental quantitative research design
开创性文献	Kelsey, J. L., Whittemore, A. S., Evans, A. S., & Thompson, W. D. (1996). Methods in Observational Epidemiology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0195083507	Kerlinger, F. N. (1964). Foundations of Behavioral Research. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
别名	comparative cross-sectional survey, cross-sectional comparative study, multi-group cross-sectional design, cross-sectional group comparison	ex post facto research, causal-comparative design, retrospective causal study, CCR
相关	3	3
摘要	Comparative cross-sectional research is a quantitative observational design that measures and compares characteristics, attitudes, or outcomes across two or more pre-defined groups at a single point in time. By building the comparison into the sampling frame rather than treating it as a secondary analysis step, the design yields group-level contrasts without requiring follow-up measurement, making it efficient for describing between-group differences in prevalence, mean levels, or associations.	Causal-comparative research is a non-experimental quantitative design in which the researcher compares two or more groups that already differ on an independent variable — one that was not manipulated — to investigate possible causes or consequences of that difference. Because group membership is pre-existing rather than randomly assigned, the design can suggest causal relationships but cannot establish them with the certainty of a true experiment. It is widely used in education, psychology, and social sciences when experimental manipulation is impractical or unethical.