participant observation

Participant observation is a qualitative research strategy that has its origins in

traditional ETHNOGRAPHY. It involves the researcher immersing herself in the
researched communitys environment and joining in with their daily activities
and routines, often over a long period of time. It helps the researcher to
understand the research phenomenon from the participants perspective,
what is sometimes referred to as an insider perspective. A disadvantage of
participant observation is that it can be very time consuming. The participatory
nature of the research means that it can also be difficult to collect a
complete record of data, as the researcher may need to rely on their memory
of events