9/27/2020 Participant Observation: Definition and Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.

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Participant observation is a qualitative research method in which the researcher not only
observes the research participants, but also actively engages in the activities of the research
participants. This requires the researcher to become integrated into the participants' environment
while also taking objective notes about what is going on. Most researchers who conduct participant
observations take on the role that they are interested in studying. In Jill's case, she might enroll in
an actual foreign language course, complete all assigned homework and classwork, and attend
field trips just as any regular student enrolled in the class would. Jill would also have informal
conversations with other students in the class and the teacher. Jill would keep a detailed record of
all assignments and take detailed notes about what she observes and what happened during her
encounters with her classmates and teachers. Jill would also keep notes about technology usage,
classroom norms and expectations, and any other information that she finds useful.

There are three important pieces of participant observation:

1. Gaining entry into the location you wish to study

2. Establishing rapport with the research participants under investigation
3. Making sure you spend enough time with the research participants in the environment to get a sufficient
amount of data for your study

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