Homework Week 4 PS

Please make sure you can do before you commit.

SO308 Principles of Social Research

Data Analysis 3: Field Observation

Directions:

Choose two different public locations for your field observations (SITE 1 and SITE 2 below). Both locations should be places where people from different groups regularly have the opportunity to interact with one another. Each field observation should last at least 30 minutes. Take detailed and exhaustive notes! Record everything because you may not realize that something is important until after the fact.

Remember that the purpose of these observations is to gather data about how members of different groups interact with one another (or avoid interacting). You don’t have to record information that does not pertain to our purpose, but do record everything that may shed light on our research topic!

Once you are done, leave the field and find a quite place to transfer your field notes into this form. Clean your notes by removing your shorthand and explaining every detail. Remember that these notes need to be understandable by someone who wasn’t there with you. Include everything and add additional details as you recall them. When you add detail after the fact in this first pass, use “Bright Green” text to distinguish it from your first observations.

Then set your notes aside for about 24 hours so that you can think about them some more. Make a third pass through your notes and use “Blue” text to distinguish these subsequent reflections from your observations in the moment and your initial additions.

It is important to make these distinctions clear because your understanding of the observation may change with time. Do not worry if your first, second, and third passes through your data agree with one another. Again, your perspective may change. It is important that you do not delete previous notes, but merely add to them each time through.

Finally, in all three passes, be careful to distinguish between events that actually occurred and your interpretation of these events. Actual observations should be recorded in regular text (in the appropriate color), but your interpretations, opinions, and inferences from the data should be italicized. Try to maintain this “fact-value” distinction as carefully as you can (although it is impossible to be perfect in this regard).

You can use as many pages for your field notes as you need. This document will expand to make room. But please be conscientious about recording everything, including your reactions as the observer! And make sure you keep your observations from Site 1 and Site 2 in their appropriate places.

Good luck and have fun!

SITE 1

Data Collector ID:

Location:

Date:

Time Started:

Time Ended:

Description of Physical Location:

Descriptions of Principal Groups Represented:

Descriptions of Principal Interactants:

Narrative of Events:

SITE 2

Data Collector ID:
Location:
Date:
Time Started:
Time Ended:
Description of Physical Location:
Descriptions of Principal Groups Represented:
Descriptions of Principal Interactants:
Narrative of Events:

© Park University SO308 – Assignment 4 – Page 1 9/7/2007

Week 4 Assignment – “Data 3: Field Observation”

Learning Outcomes

2. Apply the principles of the scientific method to social science research.

8. Explain and justify the use of quantitative, qualitative and multimethod data gathering
techniques.

9. Apply the principles of ethical research.

10. Gather interactive and nonreactive data.

11. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data.

12. Collect, analyze, and critically evaluate empirical data.

13. Present research results to specific audiences.

Directions

Assignment 4 – “Data 3: Field Observation” exercise (40 points or 4% of your overall grade, due Sunday
at midnight CST of Week 4).

Read the instructions then go out into the field to do your two observations. Each one should take at least half
an hour. Write up your field notes and send them to your instructor through the Dropbox as a , .rtf, or .txt
file, using the field notes specifications. Your field notes should contain dense and rich descriptions of everything
you observed, and will likely run to 10 or 20 single-spaced pages.

Write up a summary of your findings and experience. What are the results you found? Were there similarities
or differences between the results or were the results homogenous? Can you explain why the results may be or may
not be similar? What challenges did you encounter? What would you do different next time if you were to repeat
this exercise?

You will post your “Reflection” essay in the forum provided then participate in a conversation with the other
students and compare your experiences. Post your “Reflection” as early as possible in the week to allow time for a
good discussion to develop.

A Perform 2 observations.
B Write up your field notes and submit them to your instructor in the form provided.
C Write up a “Reflection” on your findings and experience (400 to 500 words).
D Post your write-up in the “Reflections” discussion thread and respond to at least 2 other student postings.

Submitting the Assignment and Due Date
Submit your assignment to the Dropbox by Sunday midnight CST of Week 4.

Format

General Format (same as in week 2)

Write up your field notes in a similar professional manner!

© Park University SO308 – Assignment 4 – Page 2 9/7/2007

Grading Criteria

This assignment is worth 40 points.

Requirements: Points

Covered the topic and project requirements thoroughly:

A – Perform 2 field observations, write up your field notes in as much
detail as you can and submit them in the form provided. 15

B – Write up a summary of your findings and experience and post it in the
“ Reflections” discussion thread. 10

C – Respond to at least 2 other student postings in this “Reflections”
thread. 10

Format – 5

Total 40

Questions and Issues:

If you have any questions or issues, please post them to the Q & A or Reflections discussion thread.

Field Observation Directions:

The field observation continues our study of prejudice and discrimination using a third methodology. It
encourages you to pay careful attention to what people actually do and to become aware of how context
affects behaviors. You will choose two different public locations to observe individual and group
behaviors. Record those data according to the directions in the form DA3data (available in the
course “Doc Sharing” section and submit them to your instructor so that they may be included in the
complete data set. This must be completed on time.

Write up your summary and reflection of your field observations (400 to 500 words) and post it in the
“Reflections” thread. Remember that this is not an analysis of these data (that will come in Week 8), it is
a reflection on the methodology and your experience. Reply substantively and critically to at least two
other students.