How do I observe?
Writing small discoveries: an exploration of fresh observers’ observations
Aksel H. Tjora
Tjora, A.H. (2006) ‘Writing small discoveries: an exploration of fresh observers’ observations’, Qualitative Research, Vol 6 (4), pp. 429 – 451.
- Collecting information-in-society firsthand by maintaining alert attention, with maximum use of the observer’s complement of perceptual abilities and sensitivities, to all the accessible and relevant interpersonal and intrapersonal events going on in the immediate field situation through a period of time. (Junker, 1960)
p.430
- Focused on the need for intuition and creativity (Janesick, 2001)
p.431
- Significance
Different data produced depending in an ethnographer’s tacit knowledge and beliefs:
Salience Hierarchy Strategy
Comprehensive Note-taking
p.432
- Because of the constraints in any observer’s ability to observe, a more or less tacit ‘significance filter’ is applied, by which some events in a setting are noted while others are not.
p.433
- Record ‘what you ‘know’ has happened and what you ‘think’ has happened’ (Babbie, 1995)
p.433
- It is possible to go some distance in avoiding any form of interpretation, while still accepting that there is no pure description.
p.438
- Naively describing: What did I see happen?
p.437
- 10 Modes:
Generalizing: What is the Interactive pattern?
p.439
Interpreting: Why are the actors doing this?
p.441
Wondering: What is in the actors mind?
p.441
Explaining: Can this be the reason?
p.442
Quantifying: How many are there?
p.442
Dramatizing: Can my observation be interesting?
p.443
Experimenting: If I do this, what happens?
p.444
Reflecting and Reacting: Being influenced by the field
p.444
Assessing: Evaluating people’s behaviour
p.445
- 10 different modes of observation: naively describing, generalizing, interpreting, wondering, explaining, quantifying, dramatizing, experimenting, reacting and reflecting and assessing.
p.445
- The appropriate ratio of description to interpretation is a real problem every describer of the social world has to solve or come to terms with (Becker, 1998:79)
p.447
- The act of observing may be intuitive, but taking field notes that are usable for social research seems to require some methodological training, as well as a level of reflection on the researcher’s role.’
p.449
Like location drawing