You may be more familiar with correlational research than you realize. For example, when the doorbell rings at a particular time of day, you know it’s the mailman dropping off a package. You came to the conclusion that there is a relationship between the doorbell and the mailman at a particular time of day after observing the doorbell and the mailman, two variables, over time. This is essentially correlational research.
Let’s look more closely at what correlational research is and how you can use it to spot patterns and trends.