Critical Analysis and Research Methodology - Term Paper Example

critical analysis and research methodology by The of the The of the School The and State where it is located The Date Critical analysis and research methodology Introduction It would not be a mistake to suggest that science plays an important role in the development of the human civilization. Indeed, if it had not been for it, the humanity would not have experienced the level of comfort and productivity that we enjoy on a daily basis. However, it must be noted that each scientific breakthrough is the result of careful research and investigation. That is why it may be particularly important to pay attention to the way a research is usually performed. Indeed, a considerable amount of people think that outcome of study come naturally without a careful design of it. This paper will analyze such method of research as participant observation, examine it with regard to ontological as well as epistemological issues, situate it in the dichotomy of quantitative and qualitative approaches, analyze strengths and weaknesses of the method in question as well as ethical implications that it has, together with validity and reliability of its results. Ontological dimension It must be noted that whenever a research is carried out, this should be seen as a manifestation of the desire to understand the very essence of the world as well as grasp some part of its being. That is why participant observation is an effective method as is allows one to examine the way a person thinks. It must be noted that while other people might be seen as subjects of different actions, they may also be seen as objects of participant observation. Indeed, the latter provides the researcher with a unique opportunity to investigate the world from a different point of view. There is no doubt that ultimately this lead to a better understanding of its nature. Epistemological dimension As it has already been noted earlier, the findings of a research often contribute to the human knowledge. However, there are several stages that they have to pass prior to be included into the treasury of science. First of all, the knowledge that is gained though participant observation should be verified (Mauthner, 2002, p. 97). There are several ways to do that. First of all, it may be useful to engage several observers and to compare the data that they collected. Secondly, it may also be beneficial to ask the participant to reflect on the activity so that they could explain any controversial moments. Finally, it is important to make sure that the data that is being obtained is processed in a correct way. In case all these requirements are adhered to, the findings of the participant observations can be considered to be a new contribution to knowledge of the humanity. Quantitative versus Qualitative It must be noted that there are two primary paradigms in the science that shape the development of it. On the one hand, there is quantitative approach which is concerned with obtaining a specific kind of data about different issues. Participant observation can hardly be seen as a part of this paradigm because of several reasons. First of all, in the majority of the cases the findings of it can hardly be measured or compared to similar researches. Of course, one might put actions which were performed by observed individuals into different categories, but that would be a rather rough conversion. The reason is that participant observations can not be carried out in one dimension: it requires the researcher to take a look at the object, sometimes literally, from different points of view (Gomm, 2000, p. 258). In addition to that, the subject of the research is often engaged which is not permissible for a quantitative research which strives for independence of the researched object from the subject. On the other hand, participant observation fits perfectly into the paradigm of qualitative research. To begin with, the outcome of it is primarily generated by interpretation of the available data (Etherington, 2004, p. 206). In other words, after the observation, the research will have to go through the evidence once again in order to identify the essential elements and relationships between them. In addition to that, participant observation is often directed to grasp a certain idea, which is a qualitative term, not a quantitative one. Finally, the method in question heavily rests on the interaction of the subject and the object. Advantages of participant observation One should point out that there is a considerable number of strong aspects when it comes to implementing participant observation. To begin with, it is often suggested that only this method allows the researched to observe the normal behavior of the subject (Bell & Opie, 2002, p. 148). This is particularly important as it provides evidence with high validity. In other words, the researchers are able to interact with what they are willing to study directly without placing the object into uncomfortable conditions. Another advantage of participant observation as a qualitative research method is that it often generates new insightful ideas (Gibson, 2009, p. 92). Indeed, it is generally suggested that the researchers would not have a predetermined vision of the situation, but rather put down what they see. It must be noted that sometimes, the actually behavior might be different from what was expected and brings a new perspective into the understanding of the issue. That is why there is no doubt that many researcher that challenged the conventional point of view included participant observation element. This means that they show that reality may be different from theory which can be developed in an incorrect direction. In other words, participant observation is a suitable method to verify the existing knowledge. Finally, one of the biggest advantages of this research method is the ability of it to examine the existing issue in great details (Bryman, 2008, p. 496). Indeed, if society is thought to be an aggregation of the individuals, then studying one of them is similar to studying the entire society with a close level of precision. In other words, this means that the observer should not only limit one’s understanding with the particular individual, but also see the latter as a representative of a larger group. In this case, the social context that is being engaged plays an important role as it allows one to see the issue from two different sides simultaneously. That is why participant observation might appear to be quite useful if one is willing to gain a better, objective as well as an insightful perspective on the problem in question. Disadvantages of participant observation Nevertheless, it is completely understandable that there are certain weaknesses that can be identified while considering the method in question. To begin with, one should note that the best results are achieved when a researcher is dealing with small groups of people (Charmaz, 2006, p. 38). Moreover, observation of a particular individual is likely to give the best results in terms of validity. Nevertheless, the fact that a researcher is able to interact with a relatively small group of people places significant limits on the scope of the research. In other words, in order to fully examine an issue, one will have to observe numerous participants to gain the best evidence. This, in its turn, contributes to the emergence of a different problem: participant observation may be rather time consuming (Bell, 2010, p. 212). There are several reasons for that. First of all, as it has already been mentioned, a research will have to interact with many different people. Locating them, arranging mutually agreeable times and other elements of organization can be rather hard. This may make a research rather lengthy. Secondly, since there is nothing particular that a researcher will be looking for, the process of observation may be quite long. Indeed, the desired reaction may not reveal itself immediately after the observation began. What is more important is that sometimes there might be situations when it is virtually impossible to predict emergence of such reaction. That is why a researcher will have to spend some time, hoping that it will reveal itself. Finally, one of the major disadvantages of participant observation is the biased nature of interpretation (Denscombe, 2005, p. 205). Indeed, one would make no mistake that each researcher it thought to be guided by objectivity while operating with data. However, there are instances when scholars misinterpreted the phenomena so that they would fit their theory or they would deliberate omit some pieces of information that did not fall in line with the previously designed hypothesis. This means that any researcher should accept the big amount of responsibility when it comes to carrying out participant observation and make sure that one’s prejudices would not distort one’s understanding of the situation. Keeping in mind, that the objectivity of a research is vulnerable, one will be able to suggest that the findings may not be fully reliable as they are provided through the prism of mind of a particular scholar. Ethical issues of the method If one takes a look at participant observation from a broader perspective, leaving positive and negative aspects of it aside, one can not help noticing that there are several ethical issues that are involved. For example, a researcher will have to come up with a specific line when observing deviant behavior of a person is scientifically justified and when one has to report it to law enforcing agencies (Green, 2000, p. 35). For example, if a researcher learns that the object was involved in an illegal activity, should the former carry on the research or inform the police? Of course, the answer to this quest will depend on many factors. Nevertheless, a researcher will always have to decide which of them will prevail. Another big ethical concern that should be engaged is the concept of voluntary participation or informed consent. By far, it would not be a mistake to argue that observation of a participant should be seen as a kind of invasion into privacy (Denscombe, 2002, p. 69). What is more important is that the object should be fully aware when one is being observed and when this process ends. As a result, the findings that were acquired against the will of the participant should be deemed not ethical. This means that the researcher should be ready to stop observation whenever one asked to and never carry it on afterwards. In spite of the fact that this research method is able to bring valid results, one should always keep in mind that it is directly influenced by the desire of the object to participate. The next ethical concern that should be mentioned is a direct result of the one which was discussed previously. Indeed, as a researcher observes the object, the amount of data is being collected. However, if the latter makes a decision to withdraw from the research, one has the right to decide the future of the collected data (McNeill, 2006, p. 44). This is the point where the interests of the two parts may conflict. For example, the object might want the data to be erased completely, while the subject of the research understands their value and may want to preserve it. As a result, the preference should be give to the former as otherwise the research will not be ethical. Evaluation of the research method Finally, it may be particularly important to evaluate the effectiveness of the research method in question from the point of view of validity as well as reliability. Speaking of the former, one should note that the results which are obtained through participant observation should be seen as valid ones because of several reasons. First of all, they were gained directly through observation of an object who acted normally. In other words, this minimizes the influence of the external circumstances on a person and allows the observer to grasp the true nature of the phenomenon. Secondly, it is gained directly by the subject without any further interpretations. Given that the objectivity is maintained, the validity of the results can hardly be questioned. As for reliability, one should note that the results that are collected through participant observation feature some aspects that have negative influence on their reliability. It has already been noted that the research method in question is applied primarily to small groups. That is why one is likely to have difficulty by projecting the findings that were obtained in a small group to a general population. Indeed, what is more important is that the same observation can hardly be every repeated again. Indeed, the behavior that is being observed is the product of complex interaction of the internal and external factors. As a result, if it is carried out again in future, there may not be the same combination of them which is likely to cast a shadow on the previously acquired findings. Conclusion Having examined all the points which were brought up in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: participant observation is a great method of research. Ontologically speaking, it allows the researcher to grasp the essence of things and examine the way people perceive the world. In term of epistemology, it is able to provide a data that can be justified and added to the knowledge of humanity. In the dichotomy of quantitative and qualitative research, this method definitely falls into the second category. There are several advantages that it possesses making the findings valid, but there are also some disadvantages that cast a shadow on the reliability of the results. While implementing method in question, the person should beware of ethical concerns. 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