What are the advantages and disadvantages of using participant Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using participant observation - Essay Example Moreover, the concept of participant observation also requires maintaining a reasonable distance between the participants and the researchers so that the process of observation is not affected (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1994). Participant observation is a data gathering technique used to understand and examine the thoughts, feelings and views of the participants under their normal routine life (Adler & Adler, 1994; Wiersma, 1995). They are observed in their normal or regular milieu. The method involves the observation of participants’ behavior and requires the participant observer to look closely, listen carefully and ask sensibly (Lofland, 1971). The aim of this paper is to define participant observation in detail by describing the advantages and drawbacks of this method as a researching method. Moreover the paper suggests some possible steps to overcome the weaknesses of this method. Participant observation is widely known as a technique to collect qualitative data. The idea of participant observation is similar to other qualitative techniques which are based on the assumption that there are multiple perceptions about a particular issue in the associated population. Participant observation is always carried out in a community setting. The distinct feature of participant observation is that it does not distract the participants from their normal behavior. Other research techniques include surveys, interviews, questionnaires etc. All these techniques do not ensure the normal and actual attitude of people. People may answer the way the observer wants them or there may be a diplomatic response to the questions in the surveys and interviews. An example can be taken as a slight or considerable change in a person’s natural behavior due to the presence of television camera capturing him. However, the use of Participant observation ensures the correctness of the c ollected data if the observer knows how to tact situations and keep the observations away from