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Sociology vocabulary · Research Methods

Participant observation

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCommon term

In sociology, participant observation means: A research method in which the researcher joins in the activities of the group being studied while observing and recording what happens.

In Turkish: katılımcı gözlem

How it is used

The main method of ethnography. It can be overt, when the group knows about the research, or covert, when it does not. Key issues are gaining access, building trust, 'going native' (losing a critical distance) and the ethics of covert research.

Example sentences

  1. Through participant observation, Whyte spent years with young men in a Boston neighbourhood.

  2. Covert participant observation raises serious questions about informed consent.

Common collocations

  • covert participant observation
  • overt participant observation
  • carry out participant observation
  • gain access to a group
  • ethnographyA research approach in which the researcher spends a long time with a group, observing and taking part in its daily life, in order to describe its culture from the inside.
  • fieldworkResearch carried out in the real settings where people live and work, rather than in a library or office, by observing, interviewing and collecting material on site.
  • informed consentAgreement to take part in research, given freely by a participant who has been told clearly about the study's aims, methods, risks and the right to withdraw.
  • qualitative researchResearch that collects non-numerical data, such as interviews, observations and texts, to understand people's experiences, meanings and points of view in depth.

More terms: Research Methods

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