Observation is a careful and silent activity to know about the prevailing phenomenon, event, or situation.” Observers and phenomena are both essential for observation.
Types of Observation
| 1 | According to Involvement | Non-Participant Observation |
| 2 | Participant Observation | |
| 3 | According to Conditions | Controlled Observation |
| 4 | Uncontrolled Observation |
Non-Participant Observation
The observer will not be part of the phenomenon but will have a distance to observe. Non-participant observation is easy due to the lack of instruments. It is done under such conditions when the observer remains outside the group and simply watches the phenomenon.
Advantages of Non-Participant Observation
However, non-participant observation also has some advantages. The following are the merits of participant observation:
Objectivity and Neutrality
If an observer participates actively and emotionally in the event, he may try to justify the evil things of the group as just things. In this frame of mind, he cannot analyze phenomena neutrally. However, in non-participant observation, the objectivity or neutrality can be maintained. The observer in this type of observation gives a detached and unbiased view of the group.
Command Respect and Cooperation
In the case of non-participant observation, the researcher plays an impartial role. Therefore, every member of the group gives him a special status and cooperates with his study.
More Willingness of the Respondent
Often, people do not feel shy about disclosing their secrets, weaknesses, or informal things to a stranger. However, they are always reluctant to disclose these things to a known person.
Careful Analysis
In participant observation, because of the familiarity with the events, sometimes the observer does not realize the significance of the same events and neglects them. However, in non-participant observation, the researcher does not even miss a minute thing. He carefully judges the merits and demerits of every phenomenon under study.
Freedom from Groupism
In non-participant observation, the researcher always maintains his impartial status. His detachment from minor conflicts helps him to carry out his research work more smoothly.
Disadvantages of Non-Participant Observation
Here are some drawbacks of non-participant observation:
Subjectivity
In non-participant observation, the observer does not have clarity about certain events or activities. He is unable to seek clarification by asking questions to the other members of the group. Therefore, he has to simply understand and interpret what he sees. This lack of understanding may make some of his findings biased and colored by his personal prediction, belief, and pre-conception.
Inadequate Observation
The observer can observe only those events which take place in front of him. However, that is not enough, and only a part of the phenomena, as a vast range of information is required for the research. He can learn many things about the group when he participates in the group and interacts with the group members.
Unnatural and Formal Information
The members of a group become suspicious of a person who observes them objectively. In front of an outsider or stranger, they feel conscious and provide only some formal information in an unnatural way. It creates bias, and what the observer collects is not actual or normal things but only formal information.
Inconvenience to the Respondents
The members of a particular group always feel uncomfortable when they know that an outsider critically analyzes their behavior. Therefore, in some cases, the tribal do not allow outsiders to watch their socio-cultural activities. It is always better for a researcher to become a member of the group in order to learn much about it.
Participant Observation
The observer must have to be part of a phenomenon. It is costly and difficult.Participant observation is done under such conditions when the observer becomes a part of the group that is being studied. This type of observation allows the observer to get a closer look at the group and their behavior.
However, purely non-participant observation is extremely difficult. Understanding the true essence of a situation requires participation and involvement. One cannot imagine a kind of relationship in which the researcher is always present but never participates. This situation could be more conducive for both the observer and the group. A combination of both participant and non-participant methods is sometimes selected.
Goode and Hatt defined participant observation as “the procedure used when the investigator can disguise himself to be accepted as a member of the group”. So, in this kind of observation, the observer has to stay as a member of the group he wants to study.
Advantages of Participant Observation
The following are the merits of participant observation:
Observation of Natural Behavior
The natural behavior of the respondent can be studied by participant observation. When a group knows that they are going to be observed by a stranger, they feel conscious and uncomfortable, and therefore, neutrality in their behavior and activity is lost. However, in the case of the participant observation, the respondents do not know that they are being observed. So, their behavior is not constrained by the conscious feeling of being observed by a stranger.
Closeness with the Group
In participant observation, the observer has a very good rapport with the respondents. He has a very close primary relationship with the group members. Because of this, he can participate in all activities from a close angle and thus can better interpret the situation than a non-participant observer.
Studying the Real Character
Often, to study the actual behavior, group research requires close participation and contact with the group members. Through participant observation the observer can conduct an intensive and inclusive study of the group and gain insight into the real character of such group.
Better Understanding
In participant observation, the observer can better understand the feelings of the respondents than an outsider. For example, a person who is actually living in a slum area can realize the feelings and hardships of the slum dwellers better than an outsider.
Provides the Opportunity to Learn in-depth
The chief advantage of participant observation is that the observer gets an opportunity to interact with the group regarding various activities. He can thus learn the significance of these activities that are actually not open for observation. For example, if an observer participates in a religious ceremony of Muslims, viz. In “Slaughter of Animals on Eid,” he can not only observe different aspects of the ceremony but also clear his doubts by asking various questions to the group members or learning more about that ceremony by discussing it with the group. It is generally easier for the respondent to describe the event on the right occasion than before or after it.
Disadvantages of Participant Observation
Despite the advantages of participant observation, it also has many disadvantages. The following are the disadvantages of the participant observation:
Lack of Objectivity
By becoming a member of a group and participating very closely in it, the observer may lose his objectivity. His emotional and sentimental association with the group kills his impartiality and unbiased analysis. He may develop some soft corners for that group member, and because of this, he may often justify their evil activities as just activities.
Biased Interpretation
Because of his close association and emotional participation with the group members, the researcher creates a special position for himself in that group. He may be influenced or pleased by this and begins to support them blindly. Due to this, he observes things from his own personal point of view rather than a scientific point of view.
Misses Important Issues
Due to much familiarity, many crucial events appear to the participant observer with little or no significance. Therefore, he needs to catch up on many of the important issues. But a stranger pays much attention even to a small thing, as this appears new to him.
Limited Range of Experience
In participant observation, the observer confines himself to a particular group. So his experience becomes very deep, but the range of his experience becomes very limited.
Involvement in Groupism
The active participation and proximity of the observer with the group may involve him in quarrels and group groupism/factionalism. He cannot avoid taking the side of one group. But if he does so, he loses his status as an impartial observer with whom everybody is ready to cooperate. So, it destroys the purpose of the research, and the researcher finds it very difficult to get proper information from the group.
Limits of Participant Observation
There are certain situations in which participant observation is not possible. For example, it is not possible to observe criminals or prisoners.
Controlled Observation
When observation takes place according to pre-arranged plans, with the experimental procedure, it is controlled observation generally done in the laboratory under controlled conditions. In a controlled study, the researcher pre-determines and controls the study variables and determines the location, the time, the participants, and the tools used to complete the study.
Uncontrolled Observation
An observation that takes place in natural conditions and the situation is not created by the observer’s own self. That is why, it is also called naturalistic observation. It takes place in a natural setting without the influence of external or outside control.
Steps in Conducting Observation
- Select the field: Select the relevant field and get basic information.
- Make preparation: Collect necessary material and make arrangements.
- Access the Field: The observer must be at the target area from the beginning of the phenomenon however, in non-participant observation do not realize people that you are an observer.
- Observe required information only: Be focused and avoid noticing unnecessary data.
- Leave the field: Record each aspect of the phenomenon and leave respectfully.
Principles of Writing an Observation
As you embark on your research and start documenting your observations, it’s important to keep these strategies/principles in mind.
- Record your research observations during your research session. If you cannot complete the task, remember to take notes immediately after the session. They will be fresher in your memory at that time.
- It is important to refrain from discussing the session with your teammates until you have compiled all your observations, especially if you are part of a research team. There may be instances where you remember things from the session inaccurately. It is important to discuss your observations with your team once you have finished writing up your notes. By analyzing your data, you’ll be able to identify patterns and trends.
- It is important to consistently document the audio during your sessions. If possible, incorporating video into your work allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the situation. This enables you to observe facial expressions, body language, and any contextual factors in the background.
- It would be helpful to keep track of important moments during your session by noting down timestamps. For instance, it would be helpful to record the timestamps for the various sections of the site that you covered with your participant.
- Pay attention to the smaller details in your observations. Occasionally, small gestures can make a significant impact. For instance, a participant who doesn’t have a mouse pad might have felt frustrated while trying to navigate your site.
- It’s important not to overlook important matters as well. Conducting research can be quite stimulating and exciting. Therefore, you may unintentionally ignore important details such as recording the name and role of your participant during the research session. Using templates and generic forms can be helpful for refreshing your memory.
- Once you’ve finished taking your notes, import them into Re-framer for a head-start with sense-making. Alternatively, take Re-framer with you and jot down observations as you go.
