Observational methods generate behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid data which may not be reliable but tends to be behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid. It is particularly useful for studying behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid groups, or in situations where interviews and questionnaire may not be appropriate e.g. surveying the attitudes of very young children.
There are two types of observational technique; non participant and participant. Often both methods may be used at the same time.


The researcher observes the group but does not behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid in with the group. The researcher will follow the group around and ask questions often recording information on a tape or video behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid.

Advantages
1. The researcher is able to study a group it would be difficult to study in another way
2. The researcher is able to study the group and how it behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid in an everyday situation - right where the action is!

Disadvantages
1. The research findings may lack behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid i.e. could not be repeated with the same results and could therefore be seen as unreliable and behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid
2. Observations may be behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid if the researcher does not join in fully with the group.
3. Only behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid numbers of people can be surveyed at a time
4. It is time consuming, hard work and behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid.
5. The Hawthorne Effect - the researcher may influence the group to behave in a different way to behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid. In his famous Hawthorne Studies of worker productivity in 1924 Elton Mayo found that his behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid had a direct positive effect on the productivity of the workers he was studying whatever he did!

Participant Observation
In this case the researcher joins the group as a behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid member and is accepted as thus by the group.
Advantages
1. Rich and highly valid data - really right where the action is!
Disadvantages
1. The researcher may get too involved and lose their ability to be behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid
2. Data not behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid as for non participant observation
3. The group studied is usually too small to be behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid
4. There are behavesdeviantethicalexpensivefulljoinnormalobjectivepresencequalitativerecorderreliabilityrepresentativesmallsuperficialunscientificvalid problems especially if the group is involved in illegal activities.