12. Collecting qualitative data: Observation/documents Flashcards
What is observation?
The observer studies first hand the day-to day experience and behavior of subjects in particular situations (direct observations)
The researcher relies on observations of others (indirect observations)
The participant observer shares and experiences daily routines and practices of those being studied
The observer’s experiences are considered an important and legitimate source of data
What can you observe?
Systematic events: team meetings, work tasks, projects
Individual participants
Interactions - conversations
Practices
Material context, physical objects
Sequency over time
Online activities
Why should you observe?
Social processes: actions and events as they unfold, sequency
Perspectives and practices of people: “the insider’s view”
People’s knowledge or meanings that do not exist at a highly articulated or reflexive level
Holistic picture of a social phenomenon – behavior/talk in context
Triangulation/combination e.g. with interview/document data
Advantages for observation
Flexible approach
Responsive to unexpected findings ‐ a step‐by‐step sampling strategy
In situ - where and when an event or activity occurs – no recall bias
Does not rely on people’s willingness to provide information
Actual not reported behaviour
Triangulation of data sources (verbal statements with actual practices)
Detailed data on longitudinal processes
Learning by experiencing yourself
Challenges in observation
Gaining access
Attention and being openly observed may affect the ways we act (Hawthorne effect)
It takes time
Difficult to control and standardize
Establish focus and imposing order on the massive amount of data
Demanding in terms of involvement
Risk of misinterpretations
Going native
Ethical concerns
What do you do when you observe?
Active looking and listening
Careful memorizing
Informal interviewing
Writing detailed field notes
Inference from observations to meanings
How do you observe the unit of analysis?
Single setting
Multiple settings
Art of the possible
Your involvement (active/passive)
Focus points
How to observe
Always carry pen and paper?
Go to ‘everything’ and stay until the last?
Take up a position – job tasks
Video or audio recordings
Shadowing
Hanging out
Directed by emerging focus or Focused observations
Explain different types of writing notes
“Head notes”: mental notes to be remembered
so they can be written down when possible
Jottings: quick notes - helps you remember
Developed fieldnotes: worked through notes – elaboration of jottings.
Memos: reflexive notes: beginning analysis, theoretical perspectives,
Diary: researcher’s emotions, thoughts recording your choices and development as analyst
How to write field notes
Provide descriptions – accounts of actions/quotes
As much detail as possible – avoid normative judgement
Maps, pictures, diagrams of artifacts
Write preferably while or soon after – prioritize the time
Make notes of surprises when things were not as expected
Keep descriptions and early interpretations separate
What are documents?
All forms of communication that appear in a textual format
Official reports/documents
Reports
News paper articles
Company documents and records
Social media postings, blogs
Biographies
Name 4 different uses of text as data
Data on context
*historical developments, other issues related to the case(s)
Questions to be asked
*focus research questions, interview questions, working hypotheses etc.
Supplement to other research methods or data sources
*Triangulation, verification
Longitudinal data
*Track changes over time
What is the different uses of text in qualitative research?
Secondary data – almost always
*Create overview
*Insight into context and background
Primary data (supplementary) - Almost always – strengthens validity
*To supplement e.g. observation and/or interview data
*Data triangulation
Primary data (stand alone)
