Data collection – lecture 3: Observation

[Melanie Nind]

12.12.06

Data collection through observation

Reasons for chosing observation

Group response:

  • capture responses
  • everydayness
  • body language
  • evidence/it can be seen
  • processes
  • support other methods
  • support reflection
  • snapshot of reality
  • to judge
  • own interpretations
  • depth (go beyond things that people want to tell you)

Handout list:

  • The phenomenon can be seen
  • The participants cannot tell you
  • The natural context is important
  • The researcher’s view is valid

Parallel questions that emerged:

  • How does it feel being observed?
  • Can you see emotion?
  • Can you see attitude?

The big choices…

A. Participation observation/narrative observation

  • Complete vs marginal
  • Participant as observer vs observer as participant

B. Sistematic/structured observation

  • Real time vs video recording
  • Sequential vs non-sequential
  • Time sample vs event sample

Notes:

  • A = Qualitative, interpretive; B = Quantitative, controlled; Chosing A or B depends on the purpose of the research.
  • Which protocol is being used determines some “choices”
  • Doing narrative observation in a second language and in a context that isn’t well known is a great challenge!

Rigour 1

Content validity:

  1. Do you measure what you set out to measure?
  2. Do you have explicit operational definitions?
  3. Can you site evidence for the interpretation that …

Rigour 2

Reliability

  1. Have you addressed accuracy and stability?
  2. Have you checked inter-observer agreement?
  3. Have you checked intra-observer agreement?
  4. Have you taken into account chance?

Rigour 3

Instrumentation

  1. Have you just seen what you wanted to see?
  2. How do you know?

Rigour 4

Generalisability

  1. How representative is your sample?
  2. How do you know?

Rigour 5

Competence

  1. Is there a clear protocol?
  2. Have the observers been trained?
  3. Have differences been addressed?
  4. Are the observers a valuable part of the instrument?

Some guidance

(See handout)