1/27/2024 0 Comments Observation methodSome sites and some members-only groups have their own guidelines or norms, which should be respected. Metadata might still be attached that identifies the person making the post. While it might seem simple to say that a post is "non-identifiable data" because you left the name off, anyone can put the comment into a browser and find it. Whether or not this is considered acceptable depends on the type of data and expectations of the group. They might use archives and/or posts to a public site. (Note: I will focus in more detail about ethical and consent issues in another MethodSpace post.)Īn unobtrusive researcher is a bystander, collecting data without interacting. The participant observer might post information about the study and an opt in or opt out consent protocol. Depending on the nature of the group and the nature of the study, the researcher may or may not disclose that they are collecting data as a participant in the group. Online, a researcher using participant observation might contact the manager or moderator of an online discussion to request permission to study the group as the participant. Participant observers can have both informal discussions or formal interviews with group members. The researcher responds to others’ posts, engages openly with the group, and might share knowledge gained from study or experience. Participant observation to collect data in a process that includes the researchers’ involvement in communications-for example, posting to forums, blogs, or walls in online communities or on social media sites. In this form of observation, the researchers do not create posts, ask questions, respond, or otherwise involve themselves in interactions with the online community, group, or social media site. Unobtrusive Observation: Researchers collect posted but not personally identifiable information or look for patterns in such posts on websites, blogs, or social media sites, or in discussion group interactions. While language may vary in different research traditions, I have updated definitions articulated in the book Qualitative Online Interviews (Salmons, 2015): Unobtrusive observation is also called lurking. In contrast, with unobtrusive,covert or passive observation, the researcher collects data without the knowledge of the people or the setting. Because the researcher is openly collecting data, they have an agreement with the organization or setting for the study and consent from participants. The researcher can ask questions, engage in discussions with individuals or groups, and/or “do” the activity being studied. The term participant observation describes a type of research where the researcher is a member, or has access to engage, with the phenomenon under investigation. Participant Observation or Unobtrusive Observation? In the research environment, can I research just like "lurking"? If possible, how can I do this? Because I understand the process like participant, but there are phenomena that are delicate to convey that a researcher doing inside some online places. So, thinking about how to observing online interactions between participants. Originally planned for observations - looking at interactions between participants. How can participant observation can be conducted online? This set of questions reflects their curiosity about the qualitative data collection methods involving observation. Many researchers who have little or no experience with online methods are now trying to figure out how to move studies they planned to conduct in-person. The recording from this webinar, hosted by Nvivo, is available for viewing. The questions discussed in this post were asked at the webinar, When the Field is Online. Find the whole Q & A series here, and post your own questions. The world is changing and so are your research plans and options. We’re answering questions you post on MethodSpace, and related online events.
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