Participant observations
Practical (Advantages & Disadvantages) Ethical issues Theoretical (Advantages & Disadvantages)
Insight- put in Researcher trained Deception- Legal duty to report Validity- Interpretivists favour Objectivity- risk of ‘going native’
participants shoes to recognise pretending to be illegality- as it achieves their main goal of makes it difficult to remain
and gain a first-hand sociologically part of the researchers are validity. Allows researchers to objective/ unbiased. Loyalty or
experience. Develop significant things. group is obligated to report understand actors’ meanings fear of repercussions may lead
a rapport with + personal unethical. illegal activities, and produces rich, qualitative to sociologist to withhold
members- yields characteristics may Informed which could data from which they can gain sensitive data. Researchers may
large amounts of limit the groups consent cannot undermine rapport. an authentic picture of actors’ be biased in favour of
valid, qualitative studied e.g. age, be obtained. worldwide view. A high level of participants viewpoints.
data. gender. involvement = experience first-
Access- sometimes Stressful/ Lie to Lack of informed hand = insightful. Also, being Reliability- participants
participant demanding. participants in consent- research is with the group all the time observations aren’t
observations are the Requires order to leave- is open-ended and increases validity compared to standardised so it would be
only suitable method observational and unethical. continually ‘snapshots’ based studies. possible for another researcher
for studying certain interpersonal skills= changing so it isn’t to repeat the research and get
groups. keeping up an act. possible to give full the same results, meaning
Can’t ask naïve informed consent. comparisons can’t be made,
questions. reducing reliability.
Flexibility- don’t Researcher Illegal activities- Risk of ‘going Flexibility- produces valid data Representativeness- participant
have to begin with a dependent on researcher may native’- close in situations where we know observations use small, unique
fixed hypothesis and memory / have to personal little about the group or culture, samples. So although internally
questions that turn opportunity (can’t participate in attachments with researching without a fixed valid, they may lack external
out to be take notes). immoral or the group may lead hypothesis allows the focus of validity. Therefore,
unimportant. Open illegal activities. to withholding the research to be modified and generalisations cannot be made.
mindness increases information from to be more grounded.
validity. Addition of new the police about Validity- findings are subjective
member can cause groups activities. and biased. Researcher only
the groups selects facts they think are
behaviour to worth recording. + Hawthorne
change. effect- in overt observation
participants will behave
differently.
Practical (Advantages & Disadvantages) Ethical issues Theoretical (Advantages & Disadvantages)
Insight- put in Researcher trained Deception- Legal duty to report Validity- Interpretivists favour Objectivity- risk of ‘going native’
participants shoes to recognise pretending to be illegality- as it achieves their main goal of makes it difficult to remain
and gain a first-hand sociologically part of the researchers are validity. Allows researchers to objective/ unbiased. Loyalty or
experience. Develop significant things. group is obligated to report understand actors’ meanings fear of repercussions may lead
a rapport with + personal unethical. illegal activities, and produces rich, qualitative to sociologist to withhold
members- yields characteristics may Informed which could data from which they can gain sensitive data. Researchers may
large amounts of limit the groups consent cannot undermine rapport. an authentic picture of actors’ be biased in favour of
valid, qualitative studied e.g. age, be obtained. worldwide view. A high level of participants viewpoints.
data. gender. involvement = experience first-
Access- sometimes Stressful/ Lie to Lack of informed hand = insightful. Also, being Reliability- participants
participant demanding. participants in consent- research is with the group all the time observations aren’t
observations are the Requires order to leave- is open-ended and increases validity compared to standardised so it would be
only suitable method observational and unethical. continually ‘snapshots’ based studies. possible for another researcher
for studying certain interpersonal skills= changing so it isn’t to repeat the research and get
groups. keeping up an act. possible to give full the same results, meaning
Can’t ask naïve informed consent. comparisons can’t be made,
questions. reducing reliability.
Flexibility- don’t Researcher Illegal activities- Risk of ‘going Flexibility- produces valid data Representativeness- participant
have to begin with a dependent on researcher may native’- close in situations where we know observations use small, unique
fixed hypothesis and memory / have to personal little about the group or culture, samples. So although internally
questions that turn opportunity (can’t participate in attachments with researching without a fixed valid, they may lack external
out to be take notes). immoral or the group may lead hypothesis allows the focus of validity. Therefore,
unimportant. Open illegal activities. to withholding the research to be modified and generalisations cannot be made.
mindness increases information from to be more grounded.
validity. Addition of new the police about Validity- findings are subjective
member can cause groups activities. and biased. Researcher only
the groups selects facts they think are
behaviour to worth recording. + Hawthorne
change. effect- in overt observation
participants will behave
differently.
