Exam 9: Section 2: Field Observation

Field researchers need to always participate in what they are studying, because they usually will study it directly at the scene of the action.

Field research encompasses two different methods of obtaining data: 1) making direct observation and 2) asking questions.

Sampling in field research tends to be less complicated than in other kinds of research. In many types of field studies, researchers attempt to observe everything within their field of study; thus, in a sense, they do not sample at all.

Photographs or videotapes cannot be used to make records of visual images such as a block of apartment buildings before and after some physical design change or to serve as a pretest for an experimental neighborhood cleanup campaign.

The observer-as-participant identifies himself or herself as a researcher and interacts with the participants in the course of their routine activities but makes no pretense of actually being a _____.

In field research, validity often refers to whether the intended meaning of the things Observed or people interviewed has been _____ captured. Field research measurements-even in-depth ones-are also often very personal. Thus reliability is not one the major strengths of field research.

Field research results cannot be generalized as safely as those based on _____ and standardized questionnaires. Because field researchers generally get a full and in-depth view of their subject matter, they can reach an unusually comprehensive understanding. By its very comprehensiveness, however, this understanding is less generalizable than results based on rigorous sampling and standardized measurements.

Controlled probability sampling techniques are not usually possible in field research. But in some circumstances, researchers can combine probability and nonprobability sampling. In practice, _____ sampling is seldom used in field research. Different types of purposive samples are much more common.

The methods selected for recording observations are directly related to issues of measurement, especially how _____. For example, if we are interested in policies to increase nighttime pedestrian traffic in some city, we might want to know why people do or do not go out at night and how many people stroll around Different neighborhoods.

The _____ observes a location or process without becoming a part of it in any way. The subjects of study might not even realize they are being studied because of the researcher's unobtrusiveness. An individual making observations while sitting in a courtroom is an example.

The reliability of quantitative field studies can be enhanced by careful attention to the details of observation. In a more general sense, reliability will increase as the degree of interpretation required in making actual observations _____. Participant observation or unstructured interviews may require a considerable degree of interpretation on the part of the observer.

Field research is especially effective for studying the subtle nuances of behavior and for Examining processes over time. For these reasons, the chief strength of this method is the depth of understanding it permits. Validity is usually a strength of field observation, But _____ are sometimes weaknesses.

One of the chief goals of social science is generalization. _____ can be a problem for qualitative field research. The personal nature of the observations and measurements made by the researcher can produce results that will not necessarily be replicated by another independent researcher.

A great deal of criminal justice research is conducted using a combination of different data collection methods. Often field research is combined with surveys or data from official records. This is consistent with general advice about using _____ and data collection methods.

A field observer using _____ is guided by instruments designed by presumably experienced and knowledgeable police researchers, as compared to an ethnographer who relies heavily his/her own judgment to make choices about what to observe and how to interpret it.

The logic and power of probability sampling derive from statistical probability theory. A random and statistically representative sample permits confident generalization from a sample to a larger population. The logic and power of purposeful sampling lies in selecting _____ in depth.

Different situations require different roles for researchers. Field researchers rely on their understanding of the situation, their judgment, and their experience. In making a decision, researchers must be guided by both _____ considerations. Both of these often conflict.

Field observation involves making initial observations, developing tentative general conclusions that suggest further observations, making those observations, revising the prior conclusions.