TWO OF THE

MOST
PROMINENT
METHODS OF •OBSERVATION
DATA •INTERVIEWS
COLLECTION IN
QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH:
 DIFFERENT FORMS OF OBSERVATION
•STRUCTURED OR SYSTEMATIC
•PARTICIPANT
•NONPARTICIPANT
•UNSTRUCUTRED
•SIMPLE
STRUCTURED OBSERVATION OR
SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION

• IT IS A TECHNIQUE IN WHICH THE RESEARCHER EMPLOYS EXPLICITLY FORMULATED

RULES FOR THE OBSERVATION AND RECORDING OF BEHAVIOR.
 • THIS OBSERVATION IS ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN METHODS
OF RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. IT ENTAILS THE
PARTICIPANT RELATIVELY PROLONGED IMMERSION OF THE OBSERVER IN A

OBSERVATION SOCIAL SETTING IN WHICH HE OR SHE SEEKS TO OBSERVE

THE BEHAVIOR OF MEMBERS OF THAT SETTING (GROUP,
ORGANIZATION, COMMUNITY, ETC.).
UNSTRUCTURED OBSERVATION

• THIS OBSERVATION DOES NOT ENTAIL THE USE OF AN OBSERVATION SCHEDULE FOR THE
RECORDING OF BEHAVIOR. INSTEAD, THE AIM IS TO RECORD IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS
POSSIBLE THE BEHAVIOR OF PARTICIPANTS WITH THE AIM OF DEVELOPING A
NARRATIVE ACCOUNT OF THAT BEHAVIOR.
SIMPLE OBSERVATION & CONTRIVED
OBSERVATION

• THESE ARE FORMS OF OBSERVATION IN WHICH THE

OBSERVER IS UNOBTRUSIVE AND IS NOT OBSERVED BY
THOSE BEING OBSERVED.
SIMPLE OBSERVATION

• IN THIS OBSERVATION, THE OBSERVER HAS NO INFLUENCE OVER THE SITUATION BEING
OBSERVED.
 CONTRIVED OBSERVATION

• IN THIS CASE, THE OBSERVER ACTIVELY ALTERS THE SITUATION TO

OBSERVE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION.
GUEST, NAMEY, AND MITCHEL (2013)
• “PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION IS THE MOST EXIGENT QUALITATIVE DATA
COLLECTION METHODS BECAUSE IT LINKS THE RESEARCHER TO ‘THE
HUMAN EXPERIENCES, DISCOVERING THROUGH IMMERSION AND
PARTICIPATION THE HOWS AND WHYS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN A
PARTICULAR CONTEXT’”
IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING THE
PARTICIPANT’S CULTURAL MILIEU,
OBSERVATION IS APPLIED FOR THE
FOLLOWING REASONS:
1.) TO IDENTIFY AND GUIDE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INFORMANTS
2.) TO HELP THE RESEARCHER GET THE FEEL OR HOW THINGS ARE
ORGANIZED AND PRIORITIZED, HOW PEOPLE INTERRELATE, AND WHAT
THE CULTURAL PARAMETERS ARE;
3.)TO SHOW THE RESEARCHER WHAT THE CULTURAL MEMBERS DEEM
TO BE IMPORTANT IN MANNERS, LEADERSHIP, POLITICS, SOCIAL
INTERACTION, AND TABOOS;
4.) TO HELP THE RESEARCHER BECOME KNOWN TO CULTURAL MEMBERS,
THEREBY EASING FACILITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS; AND
5.) TO PROVIDE THE RESEARCHER WITH A SOURCE OF QUESTIONS TO BE
ADDRESSED WITH PARTICIPANTS.
 IF YOU ARE TO USE OBSERVATION AS DATA
COLLECTION METHOD, YOU MUST TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION THE FOLLOWING:
• THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS GUIDING THE STUDY,
• THE SITE UNDER STUDY, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE SITE FOR OBSERVATION,
• THE REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE POPULATION AT THAT SITE, AND,
• THE STRATEGIES TO BE USED TO RECORD AND ANALYZE THE DATA.
 ESSENTIAL THINGS THAT MUST BE
CONSIDERED IF YOU USE PARTICIPANT
OBSERVATION:

•ELEMENTS
•DESCRIPTION
GETTING INTO TO THE LOCATION OF
WHATEVER ASPECT OF THE HUMAN
EXPERIENCE YOU WISH TO STUDY

THIS REFERS TO IMMERSING YOURSELF TO THE PLACE OF STUDY. GO TO WHERE YOUR PARTICIPANTS ARE.
“GO TO WHERE THE ACTION IS.”
 BUILDING
RAPPORT • THIS REFERS TO WINNING THE ACCEPTANCE OF YOUR PARTICIPANTS FOR

WITH THE YOU TO BE ALLOWED TO OBSERVE THEM. “THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT YOU.”

PARTICIPANTS
SPENDING
ENOUGH TIME • THIS REFERS TO SPENDING TIME FOR ENOUGH PERIOD TO HAVE A SUFFICIENT
RANGE OF EXPERIENCES, CONVERSATIONS, AND UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS
TO GET THE FOR YOUR ANALYSIS. “BE THERE.”

NEEDED DATA
 SEVEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE REFLECTED ON
THE CONDUCT OF PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION:
• WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER IN CHOOSING A RESEARCH VENUE?
• WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ENTER THE FIELD?
• WHAT DO YOU NEED TO OBSERVE IN THE FIELD?
• WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DATA COLLECTION?
• HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE DATA?
• HOW LONG DO YOU STAY IN THE FIELD?
• WHEN DO YOU EXIT?
• WHAT ARE THE ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE CONDUCT OF PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION?
WHAT TO OBSERVE:
• APPEARANCE
• VERBAL BEHAVIOR AND INTERACTIONS
• PHYSICAL BEHAVIORS AND GESTURES
• PERSONAL SPACE
• HUMAN TRAFFIC
• PEOPLE WHO STAND OUT
 WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DATA COLLECTION?

• OBSERVATION NOTES
• CASUAL CONVERSATIONS
• SEMISTRUCUTURES
• COUNTS OF SPECIFIC OBSERVATION
• PROCESS FLOWS
• LISTS AND CATEGORIES
HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE DATA?
• CAPTURE IT QUICKLY
• EXPAND YOUR NOTES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
• USE RECORDING DEICES AND ASSISTANTS
• USE TIME AND LABOR SAVING TRICKS
• STAY ORGANIZED
HOW LONG DO
YOU STAY?
WHEN DO YOU EXIT?

• REVISIT YOUR INFORMED CONSENT PROTOCOLS

• MAKE SURE YOUR DATA ARE COMPLETE, ORGANIZED, AND BACKED UP
• THANK THOSE WHO HELPED YOU
• CREATE A CONTACT FILE