Participant-Observation INFO 272. Qualitative Research Methods Participant-Observation

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Remember… Evenly distributed attention Directness of observation and description (w/o interpretation) to challenge conventional thinking, discover new categories, concepts [Becker] Logging more data than you know you will need

Your Role Open, semi-open, semi-closed, closed settings (a range) Covert vs. Overt [Lofland and Lofland] The ‘known’ investigator – is he/she really overt?

Ethics Respect for persons Beneficence Justice

Informed Consent People must be “given the opportunity to choose what shall or shall not happen to them.” What the research is about (in understandable language) The option to discontinue at any time No coercion

Anonymity protect identities, names, place names, identifying features

Note Taking when? as soon as possible where? somewhere unobtrusive what? – “a running description of events, people, things heard and overheard, conversations among people, conversations with people.” – [Lofland and Lofland]

Note Taking – best practices separate direct observation from inference as best you can in brackets [] or in a separate column distinguish between direct quotes and paraphrasing “” for direct quotes and ‘’ for paraphrasing all the specifics date, time, place names, names and contact info for people not just text drawings, maps, tape small papers into your notebook such as business cards, flyers, etc.

Jottings vs. full field notes There are a series of testimonials. A young man says he had a dream that some specific electronic items in his room were stolen. As a result of the dream he removed the items to another place. The landlady told him she wasn’t worried about things being stolen. Then one night when the man was at a church event (New Years prayer service) and someone broke in to the place. The landlady’s things were stolen and the things he had moved were safe. It is pointed out in this testimony that the landlady belonged to another church [a competitor]. Second testimonial – things are going well with this young man. He is being promoted at work, then a stranger comes into the office and touches his rib. Afterwards he falls ill and is sick for a few months. The “rib-toucher” is described as a devil – [I see allusions to witchcraft, sorcery] someone who wishes for the downfall of this young man, but he recovers. Third testimonial – girl wishes for things in life – to go to university (which she does) to go on holiday to the UK (which she does). [travel abroad] He calls up a woman from the audience. He gives some sort of prophecy about what will happen to her. She is very emotional and screams out and keeps falling backwards. The reverend comes towards here and this force he is using pushes her backwards – [a spiritual positive force (as opposed to the next woman who is possessed by an evil force)]. ..