Title: Introduction to observations
Course: EDPS0009: Researching Education and Society: Qualitative Methods 2020/2021 > Section: 4. Observations

On the surface, doing observations may sound like a "simple" way to collect data. However, as always with research methods, careful thought needs to go into the planning of observations. Above all, we need to ask ourselves if the data that we would like to gather can actually be collected through observations. But then many other considerations follow:

What is important to note here is that there is not one correct answer to these questions!
As a researcher, you are confronted with all these choices and you need to take a decision on what is most feasible and relevant to your research question, and what is most ethical in the situation you find yourself in. If we continue to run with the examples mentioned, let's assume you have decided to observe one girl in that classroom for one lesson and you are a complete observer in that situation. You then have to ask yourself whether it is a good decision if you let her, her teacher and the rest of the pupils know that you are watching that particular girl, or if it is a good choice if you sit right next to that one particular girl.

Sitting right next to the girl and telling everyone openly may help you gather the data that you are truly after. But at the same time, this will single that one girl out, and the teacher and the girl may become very conscious of her being singled out in that way, and therefore change their behaviours.

As you can see, "observations" are quite complex data collection methods and much more than merely "looking at" or "watching" someone or something.