1. EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL: In standard experiments, members are in two different groups. Members of one group receive special experimental treatment. The other group members, called ‘control group’ do not receive special treatment, though they are from the same environment in all other respects.
But this is not true in engineering, since most of the experiments are not conducted in laboratories. The subjects of experiments are human beings who are outside the experimenter’s control.
Thus it is not possible to study the effects of changes in variable on different groups. Hence only historical and retrospective data available about various target groups has to be used for evaluation. Hence engineering as a social experimentation seems to be an extended usage of the concept of experimentation.
2. INFORMED CONSENT: has two elements, knowledge and voluntariness. The subjects (human beings) should be given all the information needed to make a reasonable decision. Next, they must get into the experiment without being subjected to force, fraud or deception. Supplying complete information is neither necessary nor in most cases possible. But all relevant information needed for making a reasonable decision on whether to participate should be conveyed. Generally, we all prefer to be the subject of our own experiments rather than those of somebody else.
