Question: The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study is to investigate the impact that COVID-19 has had on retention rates of doctoral students both pre- and post-pandemic, in either a virtual or traditional learning environment. This design is best suited due to the nature of the research question and the type of data being analyzed (Goertzen, 2017). Non-experimental designs allow researchers to observe and analyze existing differences in retention without manipulating the variables (Lim, 2024). This is particularly important when exploring the implications of a global event like a pandemic. However, are there benefits of incorporating longitudinal elements could strengthen your analysis by capturing changes in retention over time rather than relying solely on snapshots? Please provide a 150 word summary. Need Assignment Help?