You are conducting a study on the health of people who have been exposed to radiation and those who have not been exposed to radiation. Which of these methods of obtaining data should you most likely adopt and why?

Question

anonymous · Answer

a. an observational study because it involves the pre-existing condition of the subjects
b. an experimental study because it will give the most accurate results
c. an experimental study because results can be obtained much faster using this technique
d. a sample survey with only people who were not exposed to radiation because it involves random selection
e. a sample survey with only people who were exposed to radiation because it involves random selection

anonymous · Answer

Is this the proper area for this type of question?

anonymous · Answer

Its on my Algebra test, I'm new here is this algebra?

anonymous · Answer

There is a separate tab for algebra, but I was just asking because I have never encountered a question like this on a math test.

anonymous · Answer

I am pretty sure you can rule out d and e because you are looking to compare both the exposed and the non-exposed, and these only deal with one group each.

anonymous · Answer

So you are left with a, b, or c. Let's look at each of those. Can you yourself see any reason to rule one of them out?

anonymous · Answer

Me neither, it's pretty weird. I feel embarrassed. and I tried, I ended up with E

anonymous · Answer

What about B? my friends are saying its that one

anonymous · Answer

I was thinking it was either a or b, as c states the reason as "you will obtain results much faster" and this isn't a good reason for why one method would be better than another.

anonymous · Answer

probably a because it involves the pre-existing condition of the subjects. Its asking a study on the health of people who have been exposed to radiation and those who have not been exposed to radiation

anonymous · Answer

My analysis of the two choices:

a: An observational study would allow those running the trial to know any pre-existing conditions that the subjects had prior to the radiation incident.

anonymous · Answer

I also think it is A. 

Experimental studies would be more useful if the study was for a treatment, rather than just a study of the effects of radiation exposure

anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much! ill go for that one:)

anonymous · Answer

Alrighty, hopefully we got the correct answer :)