Data collection method participant observation
Introduction and Meaning of Observation
The most common method used for getting information about the various things around us, is to observe those things and also the various processes related to those things. Hence, it can be said that observation acts as an important, fundamental and the basic method of getting information about anything. But it must be kept in mind that observation is not just seeing things but it is carefully watching the things and trying to understand them in depth, in order to get some information about them related to what it is intended to. Observations sometimes act scientifically, when used by the researchers in various research works but it should be noted that all observations are not scientific in nature. Scientists and nonscientists both rely on observation to learn behavior. The difference between the scientific and nonscientific observation is the manner in which the observations are made. Non scientists don’t usually keep formal records of the things they have observed so they consequently depend on the memory for the information of that event. But unfortunately what one remembers about an event is not likely to be a literal record of what one experienced and hence memory can be affected by the information later added about the event experience (Bartlett, 1932; Loftus, 1997a, 1997b; Pezdeick, Finger, & Hodge, 1997) whereas scientific observation on the other hand is made under precisely
My participant observation research project is on sex offenders. A few topics I would be interested in is different type of offenders, such as pedophilic and non-pedophilic. I know sex offending is horrible all together but I really hate when I hear about children and teens being hurt. My questions would be what causes their urge to offend children? How do they know the victim? How to help the offender?
In the article, “Researching Dealers and Smugglers,” Patricia Adler discusses her and her husband’s experience using participant observation to collect data from drug dealers and the problems this qualitative method brought. A qualitative method focuses on collecting rich, non-statistical data. This method involves face-to-face interviews and actual participation with the group being researched. The Adlers use this method because it is almost impossible to gather accurate information on people who smuggle drugs. This is true because they are such private and deceitful people. The only way to get the real facts is if the smugglers trust the person. Unfortunately, participant observation brought problems such as the dealers and smugglers
Participant observation is a method of collecting information and data about a culture and is carried out by the researcher immersing themselves in the culture they observing. The researcher becomes known in the community, getting to know and understand the culture in a more intimate and detailed way than would be possible from any other approach. This is done by observing and participating in the community’s daily activities. The method is so effective because the researcher is able to directly approach the people in the community in a natural context as opposed to taking the participant out of their environment. The aim of participant observation is to gain an understanding the subject’s life from their perspective, with the purpose of
present. Most come for the free pizza. It sounds funny, but it is true. I pay attention
To collect data I used two methods, participant observation and surveys. For participant observation, I went to Oliver Hall to get my food and observe other students’ interactions with the workers. I was able to observe and participate six times for about 30 minutes each session, and each time I was able to interact in meaningful and respectful conversations with each worker I came into contact. Since it was my own experience, I was able to take notes after I sat down on the table closest to the entrance, and then I took notes on who walked in, how many people they walked in with, and which worker was working. At first I focused on simple greetings, for example, saying “hello” or “thank you,” but then I was able to go more in depth to seeing which students make an effort to go beyond pleasantries and ask about the worker’s day or tell a joke. When I went to
In order to provide the Australia Park Victoria with the appropriate data to solve its current crisis, the most appropriate method of data collection for this research is the qualitative method. According to Gay and Airasian (p 627) qualitative method is the collection of extensive data on various variables over a long time in a natural setting with an aim of acquiring insights not possible using other methods. It involves three different kinds of information collection: direct observation, in depth and open-ended interviews and written documents. Qualitative method involves use of random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit different experiences. The method also enables the researcher to study the specific area of
Many Sociologist believe that studying deviant behavior can be exciting, rewarding, and fun. However, the study of deviance can also be stressful, difficult and filled with difficulties that can be extremely challenging. There are many ways to research and study deviant behavior whether it be in covert or overt observation strategies. Covert observation is referred to as the study in which the researcher observes a social group and does not let the subjects know they are being studied (Inderbitzin, Bates, & Gainey, 2016, p. 575). Overt observation refers to public observation in which the researcher makes the social group aware that they are being observed and the researcher participates in the behavior (Inderbitzin, Bates, & Gainey, 2016, p. 577).
Culture differs from one location to another because of the different population in those areas. A population is an entire group of individual persons, objects, or items from which the sample are being drawn. The cultures in neighborhoods are different because neighborhoods rise and fall, and this often brings about changes in the population. A method called participant observation can answer questions about the culture of the population being observed. Participant observation is a qualitative research method that aims to uncover the meanings people give to their own social actions by observing their behavior in practice. By hanging out in a community observing the population over a long period of time, participant observers are able to capture
In the profession of Psychology, watching people, animals, possessions in an environment are called observation. Individuals who work in Psychology use three different methods to observe people called controlled, natural, and participant observation. (McLeod, 2015) In my opinion, controlled observation is the most accurate mothed to use when studying a subject, because professionals can control and account for different variables. In the following paragraphs, I will describe the behavior I wished to observe in my chosen laboratory, the results that I obtained, and I will have provided a detailed explanation of my observation method used.
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I am not merely observing to gather information for this research. This close interaction with students allows me to obtain first-hand responses, reactions and feedbacks from the students on real time. Although I interact with all students, my main focus is on students with special with disabilities. Hence, they are the focus of my research. My observation stems beyond my personal interaction with students. I also observe interactions between students. This also lets me view from a different perspective and point of view.
Observational studies and randomized trials both try to gather information to evaluate the effectiveness of medicine. Observational studies attempt to evaluate the effects of medicine by studying large groups of people and tracking them over a certain period. Randomized trials learn about the effects by randomly assigning to receive either a drug that is being tested or a placebo. Both observational studies and randomized trials were used to study the effects of hormonal replacement therapy on women; however, they yielded very different results.
Participant observation has been a favorite tool used to study many types of behavioral patterns. When talking of the participant observation we have to refer to the variety of different methods that researchers use in their data collection. According to this unit the demise of the funded “golden age of criminal justice research” (Hagan, 2010), researchers mat return the qualitative methods and people oriented in the example used in this unit Chicago School style research. An example of the qualitative strategy approach would be police investigators, who gather information from offenders by interviewing them and then using the best way to solve the problem at hand. One disadvantage to this method of collecting data would be that this way is
The names in this Observation Report have been changed to protect the privacy of the parents and the child.
The behavior was observed from a large sample of people. This included twenty people shopping alone and twenty people shopping in a group, for a total of forty subjects, each ranging in ages from approximately 19 to 40 years old. The subjects were observed from the time they entered the store until the time they left. The reasoning behind this was to see the buying behavior differences for the whole experience and figure out which areas of the store could be improved in order to appeal to groups of people shopping. The behaviors observed included the amount of time spent inside the store, the amount of money spent, the interactions with associates, and the areas of the stores that were navigated.