Pros:

• occurs in a natural setting.
  • For example, researchers can observe people’s driving patterns on streets and highways in large cities.
• can be done in situations where it would be unethical or downright dangerous to conduct an experiment.
  • Using observational studies, researchers can study suicides, rapes, murders, etc.
• can be done using variables that cannot be manipulated by the researcher
  • such as drug users versus non-drug users and right-handedness versus left-handedness.

Cons:

• Since the variables are not controlled by the researcher, a definite cause-and-effect situation cannot be shown since other factors may have had an effect on the results.
• Observational studies can be expensive and time-consuming.
  • For example, if one wanted to study the habitat of lions in Africa, one would need a lot of time and money, and there would be a certain amount of danger involved.
• since the researcher may not be using his or her own measurements, the results could be subject to the inaccuracies of those who collected the data.
  • For example, if the researchers were doing a study of events that occurred in the 1800s, they would have to rely on information and records obtained by others from a previous era. There is no way to ensure the accuracy of these records.