Participant Observation in Qualitative Research

Posted on Feb 2, 2025 in Psychology and Sociology

Observer Roles and Their Implications

c) Observer as Participant: In this role, the rules become clearer as the situation evolves. You will gain access to certain information if you have earned the trust and respect of the informants. However, this approach should not be idealized, as it can carry a high cost for the researcher.

d) Total Observer: This role maintains the desired distance to avoid influencing the subjects of observation. However, this type of covert observation can lead to serious ethical problems.

The secret to success lies in being aware of the limitations of the situation and reaching a compromise between the more extreme roles. There are situations in which the role of the observer will not be accepted or will be very difficult to achieve. In such cases, covert research might be the only option.

When the research will last a long time, the researcher can adopt different types of roles. They might start as a pure observer, transition to a participant observer as they begin to interact, and even become a total participant. This final stage does not imply any ethical dilemma.

With respect to the effects of reflectivity of the observer, their instrument of work, and even the researcher themselves, it must be assumed that they are unavoidable, though not inevitable. We can implement some control procedures so that, at the very least, the observer is aware of their existence. Sometimes, maintaining total distance prevents the observer from having proper knowledge of the observed reality.

Basic Characteristics of Participant Observation

  1. The object of investigation must be foreign to the researcher.
  2. Coexistence in the system constitutes the backbone of the method.
  3. The meaning of behaviors, attitudes, etc., must be seen from the perspective of community members.
  4. The interaction process must be based on open-ended, flexible, and timely questions. It should involve a continuous redefinition of what is problematic, based on the information gained and in the context of an open design.
  5. The observer may use one or several roles in relation to those observed.
  6. The use of direct observation is combined with other data collection techniques.
  7. The researcher must write an ethnographic report that concludes with a theoretical construct.

Research Design Using Participant Observation

The importance of observation as a methodological tool is reflected in situations that fit between the four optimal uses of participant observation, as defined by Jorgensen:

  1. To implement an exploratory basis when there is virtually no knowledge of a phenomenon (e.g., new social movements, unforeseen events).
  2. To address professional, political, or ethnic subcultures.
  3. To deal with phenomena that take place in private settings (e.g., family, specialist-patient relationships).
  4. To deal with phenomena resulting from unlawful or marginal conduct (e.g., sects, prostitutes, criminals).

The flexibility that characterizes qualitative research design is defined by a process of reorientation and constant feedback. This process ends only when the information is collected and the report with the results is written. This flexibility is consistent with participant observation, as it is the most emblematic of qualitative practices and has the most complete design. However, it still needs a starting point to guide it.

The observer/researcher has to develop selective mechanisms in the process of looking. They should be guided by some theoretical approaches that provide guidelines for sensitization (sensitizing concepts) to the phenomena under observation. These concepts help define the space of observation. Therefore, it is worth stressing the importance of experience, as it will better guide these decisions.

However, the researcher should be open to a possible reinterpretation of their objectives and the continuous reorientation of the fieldwork. Sometimes, the field of study and working conditions pose a challenge for the investigator until they reach the observation situation. Only after that time can they make certain decisions about the most fruitful participation rates, the selection of topics of interest, and the scenarios to cover.