AcademicWriting

ObservationPapers
Writingaqualitativeobservationpaperentailsthreeprocesses.First,yourecordyourobservationsof
aparticularsettingorsituationthatis,takefieldnotes.Next,youinterpretthosenotesaccordingto
relevantcriteria.Finally,youwriteawellorganizedpaperthatpresentsyourobservationsand
interpretations,usuallywiththeaimofansweringaresearchquestion.
GENERALTIPSFORTAKINGFIELDNOTES
Entries:Begintheobservationperiodbyenteringthedate,locality,time,generalweatherconditions,and
anythingelsethatmaybeimportant.
Dates:Agoodmethodistousea3letterdesignationforthemonthandalwaysputthetimeunitsfrom
smallesttolargest:daymonthyear(e.g.10JAN89).
Times:Alwaysusethe24hourclock.i.e.0530ratherthan5:30sincethelatterisambiguousifAMorPM
doesnotfollow.Itisagoodideatomakeyourlastentry'Observationsendedat(andinserttime)'.
Notes:Writedownwhatyousee,notyourinterpretationofit.Avoidgeneraldescriptions:'themen
fought'shouldbe'manA(blackhairwithyellowTshirt)punchedmanB(yellowhairwithblackTshirt)
withhisleftarm.Takequantitativenoteswhenpossible.Itisbettertowrite'thewomenwere1mapart'
thantowritenothingaboutdistancebetweenthem.
Notesshouldbedescriptiveandtellwhatyoudidnotseeaswellaswhatyoudid.Youmayhavebeen
watchingaparticularactionanddidnotnoticesomethingaboutthepeopleinvolved.Notewhatyoudidnot
notice.
(AdaptedfromFieldNotebooks&RecommendationsforTakingFieldNotes)

RECORDINGQUALITATIVEOBSERVATIONS
Setting:Bespecificaboutdate,time,conditions,andphysicalarrangements.DontsayItshardtoseeinthe
club;rather,Theclubislitbyabouthalfadozendimredbulbs,makingitimpossibletoseethefarsideofthe
roomclearly.
Timekeeping:Recordthetimeyoubeginandendyourobservations.
People:Ifthesettingiscrowded,chooseaparticulargroup(orgroups)orfocusonrandomparticipants.
Describeactionsandreactionsaspreciselyandliterallyaspossiblewithoutmixinginyourowninterpretation.
Interpretation:Yourgoalisntjusttorecordobservationsinapublicspacebutalsotointerpretthemwith
respecttocommunicationpatternsandprocesses.However,youneedtodifferentiatebetweenyourliteral
descriptionofactions/behavioursandyourinterpretationofthemi.e.firstdescribe,theninterpret.
Dialogue:Ifthesettingismoreintimate,youmaybeabletocapturesomekeydialogue.Dosoonlyifyoucan
hearitclearly,itssimpleormemorable,andyoudonthavetoguesswhatwassaid.Donttrytowrite
everythingyouhearverbatim.Ifyoucanthearsomethingproperly,donttrytoguesswhatwassaid.

See over )

WRITINGYOUROBSERVATIONPAPER
Organizeyourpaperaroundaresearchquestion:Forexample,youmaybeinterestedinpower
relations,interactionsbetweeninterpersonalcommunicationprocessesandothermedia,orother
socialphenomena...oryourassignmentmaysteeryoutowardparticularthemes.Agoodstrategyisto
createaresearchquestionaroundoneofyourinterestsorassignmentthemes.Thequestionwillnot
onlyguideyourobservationsbuthelpyoutointerpretandorganizethemforyourpaper.
Structureyourpaperclearly:
1.
2.

3.

Theintroductionincludesanoverviewofthepublicspaceyouobservedandposestheresearchquestion.
Thebodyusesparagraphdivisionstosignallogicalshiftsintime,place,behaviours,orattentiontodifferentaspects
ofyourresearchquestion.Ensurethatonecentralconceptorthreadgovernseachparagraph,anddontendwith
asentencethatbelongstothenextparagraph.Informativeheadingsandsubheadingscanalsohelpcuethereader.
Theconclusionshouldcomebacktotheresearchquestion.Didyourobservationsanswerit?Whyorwhynot?
Thengoastepfurtherandsuggestasenseofsignificance:i.e.whatwelearnaboutcommunicationprocessesor
aboutpeoplesinteractionswith(in)publicspaces.

Writeselfreflectively:Youarepartofthescene;indeed,yourpresencemayevenaffectthescenetosome
extent.That,plusthefactyoumustalsorecordandtosomeextentreflectonyourownobservationprocess,
meansusingthefirstperson.However,theresadifferencebetweenusingitredundantly,asinIobserved
fouryoungwomenatonetablealllaughingtogetherandasanintegralpartofyourprocess/experience,as
inIfeltuncomfortablestandingsoclosetothemenatthebar.
Adoptaclear,plainstyle:
o
o
o
o

Keepnounsandverbsclosetogetherwhosdoingwhat?
Watchyouruseoftheallpurposelinkingverbtobe.Wouldaconcreteverbpaintamoreaccuratepicture?
Usetheactivevoicewhenpossibleandappropriateforex,IheardasuddenburstoflaughterratherthanA
suddenburstoflaughterwasheard.
Beconsistentwithverbtense.Theobservationsyouincludeinyourpapermayusethepresentorpasttenseas
longasitsthesamethroughout.However,yourinterpretationsandforthatmatteranykindofcritical
analysisshouldbeinthepresenttense.

AlwayscheckwithyourprofessororTAforotherspecificassignmentrequirements.