![]() Some see it as a research approach or methodology, others merely as a procedure or strategy for collecting qualitative data. There has been a debate about the nature of participant observation. The researchers will become an integral part of the setting they enter and, to some extent, a member of the group they observe. As Jorgensen (1989: 15) states: ‘Participant observation provides direct experiential and observational access to the insiders’ world of meaning.’ The social reality of the people observed is examined. Qualitative researchers generally use the term ‘participant observation’, a phrase originally coined by Lindeman (1924) which he described as the exploration of a culture from the inside. When researchers decide to observe, they do not set up artificial situations but look at people in their natural settings. ![]() The relationship between observer and observed in a health setting is strong, and much meaning is shared. This is perhaps easier for the researcher than for the busy professional in clinical practice carrying out routine business. Reciprocity of perspectives: In both roles, health professionals attempt to empathise with patients and put themselves in their shoes. Savage (2000) sees parallels between observation and clinical practice:Ĥ. There are many opportunities to do so – perhaps on a ward, in a reception area, in the emergency department, a clinic or any other relevant location inside the hospital or the community. In any case, for nurses and midwives it is important to observe patients, and this everyday practice in clinical settings might help them use participant observation in research. It provides access not only to the social context, but also to the ways in which people act and interact. Indeed, Strauss and Corbin (1998) see it as qualitative research par excellence. Although interviewing is a more popular strategy for those undertaking qualitative inquiry, many qualitative researchers believe that it should complement interviews (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007). In particular, it forms an essential element of ethnography and many other types of research, but not of approaches that are based on narratives or pure textual analysis, for instance, descriptive phenomenology or narrative analysis. Observation is a data source which researchers use to explore and understand the group or culture under study. ![]()
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