ask you to conduct an observational study. You need to observe for at least an hour AND the most important part about observational research must be adhered to – you must be an observer and not a participant. You cannot intervene or participate in the actions in any way. You cannot conduct the observation at your place of employment, internship, or volunteer location.
I would suggest coming up with an idea for the behavior you want to observe right away and formulating your plan to tackle this. Do not wait to figure this out. The guidelines are being presented to you early so that you don’t run into issues. Additionally, if you plan ahead, you can reach out to me with any questions and I can try to assist you with workarounds. You also would be wise to plan ahead because you not only have to conduct the observation, but you also have to write the paper. Above all else, I want you to be safe!
If you want a second opinion about the behavior you plan to observe or the plan for doing so, please feel free to reach out to me or come to office hours to discuss it.
When considering your behavior to observe, via your research question, you are to avoid yes/no questions or those that ask how many people are doing something. If you ask a yes/no question or a question of how many, your observation involves simply counting something on a tally sheet. We don’t want that. Instead, you want a question that will involve you observing people, their interactions/behaviors, and the environment around them. Keep this in mind as these are the makings of a good observation and that starts with a solid research question.
You’ll notice that the guidelines require you to submit your notes from your observation, so please ensure they are legible. You need to submit the notes along with the written paper; the notes should be in pdf or jpeg format. The notes should be detailed. The assignment cannot be submitted without the notes.
