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Practical issues
Оглавление| Time and cost | Observation is time-consuming and expensive compared to a postal questionnaire. All methods cost some money, but some, such as questionnaires or secondary data, are cheaper than others. It may take time and skill to gain acceptance into the group to undertake participant observation. |
| Access | Some cultural situations are far easier to gain access to than others. Market researchers can freely stand in the street to talk to members of the general public, whereas some ‘closed’ research settings, such as schools or prisons, pose more difficulties. Often ‘closed’ settings will only be accessible if entry is approved by a gatekeeper (such as a head teacher in a school). |
| Researcher characteristics and skills | Some topics are difficult for certain researchers: for example, it would be very difficult for a female researcher to conduct participant observation in a monastery or for a man to do so in a convent. Also, some individuals are better at mixing with people and building relationships than others. |
| Subject matter | Some methods suit certain topics and subject matters better than others. |
| Research opportunity | Sometimes the chance to conduct research will happen spontaneously and not allow time to plan questions for a questionnaire or structured interview. For example, Thomas Ward was offered the chance to study a gang’s culture in Los Angeles and used participant observation (see his case study in this chapter, pp. 32–3). |
gatekeeper A person who controls access to a research site
