for example gangs.making contact making the initial contact with the group may depend on person skills, having the right connections, or even pure chance. Participant observation is not bound by the same rules as the quantitative methods if something does not fit an expectation. It provides factual data instead of forcing people to make assumptions about the behaviors or decisions that people make. You've Goi it Maid in newport Beach, CA is here with the best cleaning service. Most participant observation studies require several years of data collection work before it can start producing results. For example, if an observer participates in a religious ceremony of a tribe, viz. Participant observation allows researchers to capture data through speculative means regarding the areas they choose to investigate within a population group. Participant observation allows data collectors to gain more trust and rapport so that we can get more information about particular groups. 4. 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Peer-to-Peer Network, 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car, 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing, 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation, 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation, 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community, 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups, 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds, 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities, 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising. Advantages and Disadvantages of Non Participant Observation. Looking for cleaning services near you? More insights become available because of participant observation. Participant observation relies heavily on the skills of the researcher. Participant observation has a high risk of bias entering the data. Each person tends to react the same way whenever a similar set of circumstances happen to them. Disadvantages of Covert Participant Observation Covert participant observation automatically raises ethical concerns. Participant observation. Participant observation provides high levels of flexibility for researchers. Traditional participant observation is usually undertaken over an extended period of time, ranging from several months to many years, and even generations. 8.1 Ethics 8.2 Gaining entry and establishing rapport 8.3 The processes of conducting observations 9. Participant observation can be an open-ended process. It allows researchers to maintain an open mind, giving them opportunities to follow up on different ideas, theories, and directions if something interesting occurs during their work. This is especially useful, now that Research Methods is integrated into the Paper 1 & 2 and I like that you mention Paul Willis which is exactly what I was looking for, also for the Specification, Thank You!! The representative sample being studied is relatively small. This option for qualitative research does not always need to focus on the big picture. This approach comes with a severe risk of getting involved in the social dynamics of those individuals, which means the collected information has a … There are different types of observational research so I’ve assumed you mean participant observation. That means this time-consuming approach may not be beneficial unless the theory or idea under consideration can receive direct study through the particular group in question. Some General Advantages of Structured Non Participant Observation It is easier for the researcher to blend into the background compared to participant observation, which should mean people act more naturally. Participant Observation Overt Advantages Practical: researcher can behave normal/ easy to record notes/ researcher is outsider doesn't need any special knowledge if (taking part)- can go in closed minded / can ask naive but important questions/ can ask questions openly/ risk of Hawthorne effect/ access may be difficult/ flexibility Each person gets to act as a member of that small group so that it is possible to glean more insight into specific points of view, social values, and the meaning of other actions. That means participant observation captures more of a snapshot in time than a long-term perspective when gathering data. Advantages * Being physically there means you don’t have to rely on people reporting events or behaviour, you can see it directly. Return to Article Details Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method Without clear documentation and transcription, the different perspectives will cause less data rigidity to be present in the final postulation. Organizations can also use it to examine shifting perspectives in their workplace. Very limited or no evaluation. Most people make decisions in the heat of the moment instead of taking a well-thought, logical stance – especially in reactionary circumstances. How Does One Conduct an Observation? Research methods (and context) checklist: Someone mark my participant observation essay please? Since doing participant observation means being embedded in the action and context of a social setting, we consider three key elements of a par-ticipant observation study: 1.Getting into the location of whatever aspect of the human experience you wish to study. It is very demanding work that can become extremely stressful when the only way to gather information is through covert methods. The best price. Participant Observation Advantages and Disadvantages. 9. This approach comes with a severe risk of getting involved in the social dynamics of those individuals, which means the collected information has a higher risk of bias than you can find in other forms of qualitative research. 10. Reactivity is not a problem – if respondents are not aware research is taking place, they are less likely to act differently. Disadvantages of Overt Participant Observation However, a disadvantage would be that the participants understand the aims of the observer and so there is likely to be possible observer effects (the participants changing their behaviour That means someone can choose to act on their instincts to determine where useful info is possible instead of relying on structures designed by someone who falls outside of the targeted demographic. 5. That means the information that gets collected through the participant observation process is not authentic, even if it appears to be. Researchers must get directly involved with the particular demographic they want to study so that the data they collect is authentic. © Copyright Get Revising 2020 all rights reserved. The participant observation approach collects an abundant amount of qualitative data that is useful in a variety of postulations. In the main body of this essay, this idea will be addressed by pointing out advantages and disadvantages of participant observation. You can make comparisons with this info to look at how specific situations occur in unique population groups, but there is also no way to provide a quantitative sample or statistical representation of what is presented. … 1. HELP! Here are the advantages and disadvantages of a Participant observation. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Participant Observation DeMUNCK and SOBO (1998) provide several advantages of using participant observation over … It opens the door for researcher speculation. AS level Sociology Mind Map on Participant Observation Advantages and Disadvantages, created by Ronnie Barter on 28/02/2018. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. List of the Disadvantages of Participant Observation. Theoretical Disadvantages One theoretical disadvantage is the low degree of reliability. Observation is a qualitative method of collecting and analyzing the information by observing the subjects under the natural or contrived environment. 2. Difficult to replicate. If someone begins to sympathize with the perspectives or attitudes of the studies group, then the information is no longer reliable. 2. That means the findings produced from these efforts may not qualify for acceptance in some scientific and sociological circles. Only then can he use the observation method to record and take notes. 3. That means qualitative research through participant observation can turn these activities into usable data for studies in marketing, psychology, anthropology, and other fields. When the targeted demographic that tiny, then it is almost impossible to draw generalizations that impact the rest of society from the data of being gathered. The information applies only to a group of individuals. It takes a lot of time to gather factual data using participant observation. Allows researcher to see what goes on with their own eyes - can make judgements and observe body language used ; Researcher can be more open minded as … He can thus learn the significance of these activities that are actually not open for observation. 1. That means the only researcher that is 100% accurate is an unbiased individual who is already familiar with the small demographic in question. Observation plays a crucial role in marketing research as it observes the manner in which consumers behave in their natural environment. It can produce useful results in a variety of industries, but it isn’t information that has value when considering future circumstances. It does not require much technical knowledge. Participant observation also has disadvantages. Also, in this type of observation … Keeping and Analyzing Field Notes … The Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant Observation as a Research Method This essay will examine how participant observation is used as a research method. Tips for Collecting Useful Observation Data 10. This process occurs because most people prefer to live life in a routine. 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE. If researchers must deceive individuals about who they are or what they do, then the information collected from direct observations may not be entirely accurate. 806 8067 22 Advantages of Observation: (1) Simplest Method: Observation is probably the most common and the simplest method of data collection. Quantitative research works within a specific structure where there is a defined beginning and end to the data collection process. In the main body of this essay, this idea will be addressed by pointing out advantages and disadvantages of participant observation. Shifting decisions about how to gather this information are also part of the experience. 6. 7. "Participant Observation Advantages And Disadvantages" Essays and Research Papers . However there are disadvantages such as the hawthorne effect which can effect the validity of the research. One advantage of performing a participant covert observation is that participant behave as they normally would do so this would make the observation valid when looking at the truants activities. It would be almost impossible for another researcher to repeat given that a participant observation study relies on the personal skills and characteristics of the lone researcher. 8. It is also referred to as a participatory study because the researcher has to establish a link with the respondent and for this has to immerse himself in the same setting as theirs. When reviewing the participant observation advantages and disadvantages, it is essential to remember that authentic objectivity is an ideal situation, but it is rarely an actuality. This disadvantage is another reason why bias can creep into the collected data. Big disadvantages are it's unreliable and unrepresentative. This advantage allows an entire organization or demographic to account for all processes, parts, and participants so that sampling groups can go through a comparison process. Occupational, religious, and geographical demographics are common points of interest when evaluating communication studies, social psychology, or cultural anthropology. 11. Therefore, allowing us to research and expand knowledge on lesser-known social groups, which in turn will widen our Psychological understanding of the world. Any form of qualitative research, including participant observation, collects data passed on individual perspectives, reactions, and responses. You must have trained researchers who can establish rapport with a targeted demographic while also having the willingness to become part of that element of society for the duration of the work. You might like to read my more detailed post on Participant Observation before reading the essay below, which should easily get you into the top mark band.. For more information about the exams, please see this page.. Assess the strengths of Participant Observation … Getting in - To do the study we must first gain entry to the group. I will give examples to support my argument. Choose from 335 different sets of disadvantages of participant observation flashcards on Quizlet. Overt observations have more advantages than disadvantages making them a good method to use for research. Researcher can follow up different directions/ideas if something interesting occurs - Whyte - 'learned answers to questions i wouldn't have had the sense to ask', Practical advantages - Access to more suspicious groups as can gain rapport and trust - helpful when studying groups like gangs. Failing to ask the correct questions can mean a critical insight gets missed. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant Observation. Would that person know the right questions to ask? 6. Assess the strengths of Participant Observation in Social Research (20) ... eg drifting into advantages of using PO. Return to Article Details Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method Learn disadvantages of participant observation with free interactive flashcards. Researchers are in full control over the information that they feel is important to gather when performing participant observation work. A participant observation study has the most success when researchers have a high level of familiarity with the population group and the theory under consideration. It also provides the advantage of disproving specific ideas because of the direct observations that create data. Save to favourites. ese. © Copyright Get Revising 2020 all rights reserved. Ethical problems. This approach allows researchers to learn answers to questions that they may not know to ask when they first start their participant observation work. Participant observation offers the advantages of a natural setting, the opportunity to observe people for lengthy periods of time so that interaction and changes in behavior may be studied, and a degree of accuracy or completeness impossible with documents or recall data such as that obtained in surveys. Participant observation can capture changing attitudes. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant Observation as a Research Method This essay will examine how participant observation is used as a research method. Furthermore, it also prevents the researcher from becoming over-familiar with the participants and ‘going native’. It does not provide a statistical representation of the gathered intervention. That means a similar population group will have an experience that is somewhat the same if an equal set of variables impacts them. Researchers using the participant observation method gain an opportunity to develop empathy through their personal experiences with the targeted demographic. This question might come up on the theory and or methods sections of AQA A-level sociology papers 1 and 3. Participant Observation. Observation Method of Data Collection: Advantages, Disadvantages, Techniques, Types Observation is a technique that involves systematically selecting, watching, listening, reading, touching, and recording behavior and characteristics of living beings, objects, or phenomena. It helps to speed up the work of collecting information to prove or disprove an idea while keeping the overall costs of the project down compared to other methods of information gathering. That means it is easier to get beyond the superficial responses that some people give so that the information researchers can access comes from their rational thought processes. Self-selection can cause information bias to appear in the collected data. Gaining access, especially to closed groups, is much easier because the researcher does not have to seek permission. Advantages of Overt Participant Observation An advantage of overt observation is the avoiding ethics issues such as deception or lack of informed consent. 3. Difficult to record data. Researchers must have familiarity with the subject matter they study. By taking a proactive approach to ideas or circumstances that could be problematic if left unchecked, researchers can ensure the survival of a project, idea, or commercial venture. In addition, the presence of an outside observer sometimes leads to an "observer effect." Participant Observation Advantages and Disadvantages to a systematic method of data collection, where there is considerable pre-coding and observation that normally takes place. Participant observation requires researchers to become subjective participants in the sense that they use the information gained from personal involvement to interact with or gain further access to the group being studied. The first use of this method dates to the early 19th century when Joseph Marie stated that the “best way to get to know Indians (Native Americans) is to become like one of them, and it is by learning their language that we will become their fellow citizens.” Frank Cushing, Bronislaw Malinowski, and Margaret Meed were all extensive users of this collection option. … The observation method is described as a method to observe and describe the behavior of a subject. Therefore, allowing us to research and expand knowledge on lesser-known social groups, which in turn will widen our Psychological understanding of the world. Researchers must get directly involved with the particular demographic they want to study so that the data they collect is authentic. Being covert requires deception and deprives the participants of the opportunity to provide their informed consent. In the main body of this essay, this idea will be addressed by pointing out advantages and disadvantages of participant observation. Ethical questions exist for this qualitative research method. While studying education with PO it's useful because the researcher is likely to overcome power status between them and the pupil and the pupil … 10. (Hughes, 1976). 8. High ecological validity if observation is covert. Participant observation gathers situation-specific data. The human mind remembers things in ways that are unique to the individual. participant observation. Qualitative research, such as participant observation, use more of an open-ended approach. Even though people can be unpredictable, humans are creatures of habit. In this case, the researcher may not be protected, or may not protect others, from the risk of harm- especially if they social group they are studying are a deviant group that may partake in violent acts. Individuals within the study often share their lives more freely with someone inside their circle. Participant observation works well when researchers have an opportunity to directly study a small sample size. Participant observation provides more flexibility with regard to qualitative research than other methods that use this approach. Advantages of Observation: (1) Simplest Method: Observation is probably the most common and the simplest method of data collection. The first type of observation method is whereby the researcher is a participant and chooses to directly take part in the activities of the group under observation while doing research. Researchers using the participant observation method must know where to look for data and how to ask the right questions to gather information. It is favored by interpretivist sociologists as it acheives their main goals of validity especially if it is an unstructured observation. Another theoretical disadvantage is the low degree of representativeness. Attempts at analysis, if any, are thin and disjointed: 1-3: Very limited knowledge, eg one to two very insubstantial points about PO or about methods in general. Although a highly structured study in a specific population group could receive independent verification, the boundaries one would need to create for such a result would turn the work more toward quantitative research instead. This disadvantage of participant observation is specific to the covert methods that are sometimes used to gather data. When you spend most of your time around people, it is difficult to avoid forming relationships with them that impact you in some way. It can be challenging to duplicate the results of participant observation work. Qualitative data. It gives us a way to see how people could react in future situations when they have a specific set of experiences or values that drive their decision-making processes. It provides results that lend validity to a proposed theory. Also useful to use where questioning ineffective - Cicourel - study of how police categories juveniles through unconscious assumptions it would be pointless questioning them, Covert participation observation raises serious ethical difficulties - deceiving people to gain info on them is wrong - or participating in illegal/immoral activity in the course of research, Practical disadvantages - very time consuming - Whytes study took him 4 years to complete, need a trained researcher to recognise specific details, can be very demanding and stressful especially if done covertly, Representatives -small sample sizes as time consuming so hard to generalize from data, Bias - risk of getting to involved and therefore giving bias data, may begin to sympathise with the group so give bias data - Willis giving romanticized view of the lads to show them more positively. Observation is a technique that involves systematically selecting, watching, listening, reading, touching, and recording behavior and characteristics of living beings, objects, or phenomena. Maintaining your cover is a burden on you as a researcher, and it makes it almost impossible for you to take notes. Researcher can see for them selves, Insight - Allows researcher to gain empathy through personal experience . If both of these elements are not available in the group of workers who will collect information, then the lack of understanding can leave information uncollected, even though someone with experience might identify it as useful data. It provides practical advantages to data collection that other methods cannot use. When researchers put out a call for participants because of the need to gather qualitative research, then self-selection can create an issue with bias. That means the interaction between the participant and the researchers is a critical component to the success of this work. Researchers have more ways to produce real results. It is a method that also requires researchers to be objective and record everything that happens around them without letting their emotions or feelings influence their findings. That means the perspective of the person who collects the info can influence the results in a way that they might prefer individually. Deceiving people to gain information about them is typically seen as being wrong, and there may be ethical choices about participating in an Immoral or illegal activity during the course of research. In this method, the researcherrecords down all the events that he has observed in the field. Naturalistic Observation ... Wilfredo Buhayo III Gino De Jesus Patrick Domingo Statement of the Problem This study sought to identify the advantages and disadvantages of modern technology based on the perception of 2nd year BSAMT students. As the name suggests, it is a way of collecting relevant information and data by observing. Although scientific controlled observation requires some technical skill of the researcher, still … Although a defined starting point is necessary for almost any information-gathering effort, this method can continue pressing forward until funding stops coming in for the work. The chief advantage of participant observation is that in it the observer gets an opportunity to interact with the group regarding various activities of them. Detailed and in-depth knowledge of the situation can be gained. Everybody in this world observes many things in their daily life. There are several … Advantages. Several disciplines use this methodology as scholar-practitioners work to gain a close or intimate familiarity with a specific group of individuals in a targeted demographic. Observation Method of Data Collection: Advantages, Disadvantages, Techniques, Types. Printable PDF. Observers may influence participants. Participant observation has a high risk of bias entering the data. All of us see the world we live in through different eyes because of our environment, individual choices, and personalized influences. Advantages and Disadvantages of Observation Techniques in Marketing Research. Observation can be useful if a researcher is trying to find the meaning and true picture behind the research, one of the strengths is that sometimes it is the only way to research small social groups. Advantages * Being physically there means you don’t have to rely on people reporting events or behaviour, you can see it directly. The data collected through participant observation is somewhat subjective. I will give examples to support my argument. Page 1 of 1. Participant observation is the method of anthropology, although it is used in a wide range of sociological studies when the researcher has 'become part of a daily round, learning languages and meanings, rules of impersonal, relations... and in short, living the life of … 1. 8. This activity implies a dimension of information that is often lacking when conducting surveys or direct interviews. Disadvantages of covert participant observation It should have better reliability than with participant observation because the research is … The Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant Observation as a Research Method This essay will examine how participant observation is used as a research method. The targeting processes of qualitative research are on full display when using participant observation as the primary data collection method. Advantages of covert participant observation. Specifically it answers the following questions 1. Although it is challenging to generalize the information gathered by participant observation, the data that researchers collect does have a protective quality to it. living the life of the people under study.' Participant observation is useful for studying groups like gangs, issues like juvenile delinquency, and cult-based religious indoctrination. Participant Observation (Disadvantages of participant observations…: Participant Observation. That’s why qualitative research is often seen as being a weaker process to follow unless one can verify the skills of the people who gather the data. By acting as a member can get insight into their meanings, veiw points, values and problems - gives authentic data, Flexibility - more flexible and allows for an open mind. Also, they will be deceiving the participants and will lack informed consent. 11 - 20 of 500 . Participants do not always act naturally when they know they are being watched. 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