OBSERVATION AS A RESEARCH TOOL OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

OBSERVATION AS A RESEARCH TOOL OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Qualitative research is aimed at gaining a deep understanding of a specific organization or event, rather than a surface description of a large sample of a population. It aims to provide an explicit rendering of the structure, order, and broad patterns found among a group of participants. It is also called ethno methodology or field research. It generates data about human groups in social settings. Qualitative research lets the meaning emerge from the participants. It is more flexible in that it can adjust to the setting. Concepts, data collection tools, and data collection methods can be adjusted as the research progresses. Qualitative research aims to get a better understanding through firsthand experience, truthful reporting, and quotations of actual conversations. It aims to understand how the participants derive meaning from their surroundings, and how their meaning influences their behavior. Qualitative research uses observation as the data collection method. Observation is the selection and recording of behaviors of people in their environment. Observation is useful for generating in-depth descriptions of organizations or events, for obtaining information that is otherwise inaccessible, and for conducting research when other methods are inadequate. MARSHALL and ROSSMAN define observation as "the systematic description of events, behaviors, and artifacts in the social setting chosen for study". Observations enable the researcher to describe existing situations using the five senses, providing a "written photograph" of the situation under study. DeMUNCK and SOBO describe participant observation as the primary method used by anthropologists doing fieldwork. Fieldwork involves "active looking, improving memory, informal interviewing, writing detailed field notes, and perhaps most importantly, patience" (DeWALT & DeWALT). 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 a 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. It is useful for researchers in a variety of ways. It can provide researchers with ways to check for nonverbal expression of feelings, determine who interacts with whom, grasp how participants communicate with each other, and check for how much time is spent on various activities. Observation reduces the incidence of "reactivity" or people acting in a certain way when they are aware of being observed, helps the researcher to develop questions that make sense in the native language or are culturally relevant, allows for richly detailed description, which they interpret to mean that one's goal of describing "behaviors, intentions, situations, and events as understood by one's informants" is highlighted. The qualitative researcher aims to be as unobtrusive as possible, so that neither research presence nor methods disturb the situation. This is why participant observation is one of the favoured approaches. Here, the researcher adopts a recognised role within the institution or group. Observation consists of taking field notes on the participants, the setting, the purpose, the social behavior, and the frequency and duration of phenomena. Observations may be made of non-verbal behavior, verbal behavior, and physical phenomena. Features of observation 1. Eye Observation – In an accurate sense, observation involves the use of the eyes rather than the use of the ears and the voice. An experienced worker never believes in hearsay he only trusts if he has observed that with his own eyes or if the report is a firsthand evidence of his eyes. So it can be said that observation done with the help of the eyes acts as a most trustworthy medium for making an observation. 2. Aim – Observations which act on scientific grounds are brought in use by the scientists or the researchers with some or the other aim to achieve something. Such scientists make their observations in a very minute and a detailed manner which helps them in achieving specific goals. These goals can include discovery of something, verification of the hypothesis etc. 3. Planning – The value of an observation in an operation is only if it is done properly – in a planned manner as, if it is done in a careless sense then the chance of making such an observation again may come or not. Hence, observation should be carried out in a very phased and a planned manner in order to get in depth understanding of an activity. 4. Recording – The various operations that we perform and the results that we obtain should be remembered but a known fact is that memory is very deceptive in nature. With the passage of time things tend to get out of mind, so it is very important to keep a record of such activities. One very common method to keep a track of these activities is to write down the various impressions, but now adays, a tape or in some cases a video camera is used for the recording purposes. One of the major advantages of the recording done by a tape or a video camera is that the chances of going wrong i.e. committing any mistake are very less or almost negative. In tape, actual words can be recorded which results in zero chance of committing an error. 5. Physical and mental activity – Sense organs have a very critical role to play in the observation process. During the observation researcher or an investigator has to use his sense organs for seeing and hearing things and then has to keep in mind the whole set of observations for an in depth analysis of the matter later on. 6. Exactness – Observation should be based on standardized tools of research which makes an observation exact in its nature of working. 7. Direct study – Observation is a very vital scientific method that helps a lot in the collection of the primary information that is reliable in nature in which direct study of the situation is involved. Advantages of Observation 1. Very direct method for collecting data or information – best for the study of human behavior. 2. Data collected is very accurate in nature and also very reliable. 3. Improves precision of the research results. 4. Problem of depending on respondents is decreased. 5. Helps in understanding the verbal response more efficiently. 6. By using good and modern gadgets – observations can be made continuously and also for a larger duration of time period. 7. Observation is less demanding in nature, which makes it less bias in working abilities. 8. By observation, one can identify a problem by making an in depth analysis of the problems. Qualitative research uses observation as the data collection method. Observation is the selection and recording of behaviors of people in their environment. Observation is useful for generating in-depth descriptions of organizations or events, for obtaining information that is otherwise inaccessible, and for conducting research when other methods are inadequate. Methods of observation vary with the position of the researcher, but can vary from covert to overt. On the one hand, the researcher may begin as an overt observer only and slowly becomes an observer-participant. However, this creates problems of reactivity to the influence or intervention of the researcher. On the other hand, the researcher may begin as a covert participant only, and move toward being a participant-observer. However, this creates a problem of ethics. Observation consists of taking field notes on the participants, the setting, the purpose, the social behavior, and the frequency and duration of phenomena. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION: Participant observation is a period of intensive social interaction between the researcher and the subjects, in the latter's environment. It becomes the full-time occupation of the researcher. Participant observers are trained in techniques of observation. One of the most common methods for qualitative data collection, participant observation is also one of the most demanding. It requires that the researcher become a participant in the culture or context being observed. The literature on participant observation discusses how to enter the context, the role of the researcher as a participant, the collection and storage of field notes, and the analysis of field data. Participant observation often requires months or years of intensive work because the researcher needs to become accepted as a natural part of the culture in order to assure that the observations are of the natural phenomenon. In seeking to explore the natural scene, the qualitative researcher aims to be as unobtrusive as possible, so that neither research presence nor methods disturb the situation. This is why participant observation is one of the favored approaches. Here, the researcher adopts a recognized role within the institution or group. Researchers have become, amongst other things, teachers, gang-members, pupils, nudists, hippies, bread salesmen, and medical students. DIRECT OBSERVATION: Direct observation is distinguished from participant observation in a number of ways. First, a direct observer doesn't typically try to become a participant in the context. However, the direct observer does strive to be as unobtrusive as possible so as not to bias the observations. Second, direct observation suggests a more detached perspective. The researcher is watching rather than taking part. Consequently, technology can be a useful part of direct observation. For instance, one can videotape the phenomenon or observe from behind one-way mirrors. Third, direct observation tends to be more focused than participant observation. The researcher is observing certain sampled situations or people rather than trying to become immersed in the entire context. Finally, direct observation tends not to take as long as participant observation. For instance, one might observe child-mother interactions under specific circumstances in a laboratory setting from behind a one-way mirror, looking especially for the nonverbal cues being used. In short, Observation methods are useful to researchers in a variety of ways. They provide researchers with ways to check for nonverbal expression of feelings, determine who interacts with whom, grasp how participants communicate with each other, and check for how much time is spent on various activities. Participant observation allows researchers to check definitions of terms that participants use in interviews, observe events that informants may be unable or unwilling to share when doing so would be impolitic, impolite, or insensitive, and observe situations informants have described in interviews, thereby making them aware of distortions or inaccuracies in description provided by those informants.