Researchers who seek evidence of what people actually do, as opposed to what they say they do (as in survey and interview research), might wish to consider using unobtrusive methods. The presence of researchers during a study often impacts the participants simply because the researcher measures and observes them.
Which research method is considered unobtrusive?
Indirect Measures
An indirect measure
is an unobtrusive measure that occurs naturally in a research context. The researcher is able to collect the data without introducing any formal measurement procedure.
What is an example of unobtrusive research?
Unobtrusive research is simply the methods of studying social behaviorwithout affecting it. Content Analysis – With content analysis you focus on the details of recorded human communications. For example you would
analyze a painting a written document, photos, films, and things like face book
.
What is an example of unobtrusive measures?
unobtrusive measures Techniques for collecting data without the knowledge of respondents. Two types—the covert and the indirect—may be identified. The former include, for example,
covert participant observation
, undisclosed notetaking, or use of one-way mirrors.
Is a survey an unobtrusive measure?
Unobtrusive measures should not be perceived as an alternative to more reactive methods such as interviews, surveys and experiments, but rather as an additional tool in the tool chest of the social researcher. Unobtrusive measures can assist in tackling known biases such as selection bias and experimenter’s bias.
What are the three types of unobtrusive research?
Three main sources of unobtrusive data can be distinguished:
traces, documentary records, and direct nonparticipative observation
. Each of these is discussed with examples of their use, as is the increasing use of unobtrusive data acquired online.
Is Field research unobtrusive?
Field researchers may also claim this advantage over interview and survey research, but field researchers cannot be certain about what effect their presence in the field may have on the people and the interactions that they observe. … In fact, this is one of the major strengths of unobtrusive research.
How can unobtrusive online research be conducted?
A common approach to unobtrusive research methods is
through content analysis
. The content used for such analysis comes from existing documents, such as newspaper articles or organizational documents. … The data collected by these organizations can be used for secondary analysis.
Where can quantitative research be applied?
Quantitative research is widely used in
the natural and social sciences
: biology, chemistry, psychology, economics, sociology, marketing, etc.
Which method of sampling do we use in qualitative research?
Qualitative researchers can also use
snowball sampling techniques
to identify study participants. In snowball sampling, a researcher identifies one or two people they would like to include in their study but then relies on those initial participants to help identify additional study participants.
What are the major types of unobtrusive methods?
described four categories of data that might provide unobtrusive measures:
physical traces, archives, simple observation, and contrived observation
. We begin this chapter with a variety of examples of these more “creative” methods, mainly to suggest how broad these possibilities are.
What is case study research?
What is a case study? A case study is a
research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context
. It is an established research design that is used extensively in a wide variety of disciplines, particularly in the social sciences.
What are some of the weaknesses of unobtrusive research?
Weaknesses of unobtrusive research include
potential problems with validity, limitations in data availability
, and difficulty in accounting for social context.
What is unobtrusive system?
It consists of several sensors deployed on
a wheelchair
, able to sense pressure relief habits, activity level, vital signs, and ambient conditions. … All the monitored variables are acquired with unobtrusive sensors, producing no discomfort to the patient and providing valuable information for better care.
When names are removed from questionnaires?
Answer: When names are removed from questionnaires and are replaced with identification numbers so that only the researcher can later link a response to a particular name, the researcher should tell the respondent that the information is confidential.
What is unobtrusive data collection?
In unobtrusive data collection,
subjects are not aware of the fact that they are being studied and therefore your research does not affect their response or behaviour
. The three main types of unobtrusive data are indirect measures, content analysis and secondary analysis of data.
