Week 75 (21.9.08)

Learn


Collecting primary data through observation (Chapter 9, pp 282-302)

• Participant observation is a method in which the researcher participates in the lives and activities of those whom they are studying. It is used to attempt to get to the root of "what is going on" in a wide range of social settings.
• Participant observation means that you adopt a number of potential roles differentiated by the degree to which your identity is concealed from the subjects of the research and the degree to which you participate in the events you are studying.
• Participant observation must avoid the trap of mere storytelling. The purpose is to develop theory.
• A prevalent form of data analysis used in participant observation is analytic induction. This may lead to an initial hypothesis being redeveloped more than once.
• Structured observation is concerned with the frequency of events. It is characterised by a high level of predetermined structure and quantitative analysis.
• The main threats to reliability and validity inherent in structured observation are subject error, time erroe and observer effects.

Unlearn

NIL

Relearn

NIL. In BAP, i did not pursue to use primary data under observation. Therefore, no skills applied.