Observational Checklists in Qualitative Ethnology Study
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This week you will create an observational checklist, containing at least 10 items, to examine people within a social setting while completing a qualitative ethnology study. Using this observational checklist, complete an observational data collection by visiting a community venue, such as a shopping mall, a library, or college campus social area, in which people are readily seen in natural surroundings. Conduct a brief observational research study using your checklist. Consider how this experience differs from analyzing numbers when conducting quantitative research.
Please post your 10 item checklist along with your discussion.
Describe your experience of conducting a brief observation and the experience of this form of data collection.
Compare this experience with your data analysis experiences in biostatistics.
Summarize the strengths and limitations of each type of data collection.
Which method of data collection and analysis are you most comfortable with?
Note: Students are NOT allowed to approach/communicate with people for this assignment. The only method to be used is simply observing people in their natural environment and taking appropriate notes. Contact and communication with observed subjects may result in a violation of Walden IRB policies.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Observational Checklists in Qualitative Ethnology Study
The checklist
- The level of friendliness and social interactions between the students
- Expression of anger using facial expressions, sulking, crying, and complaining
- Verbal or physical retaliation against offensive behavior and language
- Attempts to evade or escape from the offended
- The capacity of displaying humor
- The level of positive mood
- The capacity to empathize
- The level of nonverbal interaction (Staples, 2013).
- Level of rejection and neglect between students
- Overt hostility and chronic aggression against the peers
It was very thrilling to conduct the brief observation. On the same note, I consider this kind of data collection to be very effective based on the fact that the participants are studied within the natural settings without their knowledge. Therefore, it is possible to gather original data regarding all their behavior (Staples, 2013). After the observation, it was easy to conclude that the student had many positive social interaction traits. There was a high level of positive mood, capacity to empathize, humor, nonverbal communication, and accepting others. If there were cases of offensive behavior and language, hostility or aggression, this was reported to the authority, which was very essential in promoting positive interactions.
When analyzing data using biostatistics, the measurement process is central since it offers the fundamental link between the mathematical expression and empirical observation. In this regard, narrow questions and gather numerical data (percentages and statistics) from participants. There is hope that the results are unbiased so as to allow generalization to larger populations.
Using qualitative ethnology study is inexpensive, simple, there is acquisition of first-hand information, and it is possible to deeply understand processes that surveys may not be able to. However, there are ethical challenges, potent observer effects, and relying on subjective measurement (Staples, 2013). With quantitative studies and biostatistics, a sample that is representative can be selected, the findings can be generalized, structural factors can be analyzed, the studies can be replicated using standardized approaches, and the extraneous variables’ effects can be controlled. However, it is impossible to gather data on sensitive topics, self-reported information from questionnaires may be inadequate, expensive, time-consuming, and inflexibility of the research methods. The qualitative ethnology methodology is more comfortable to work with based on its benefits and advantages.
Reference
Staples, J. (2013). The Interview: An Ethnographic Approach. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
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