Music 346: Music, Gender, and Sexuality

Participant-Observer ethnography describes social research in which the researcher interacts with their subjects in their day-to-day setting, in order to experience and witness that community's first-hand.  In this way, the researcher participates in the community while also observing it.

Participant-observers must negotiate ethical considerations, such as getting the community's willing permission to be observed. They must also think carefully about the effect that knowing they being observed can have on how the community members interact.

Participant-Observation (Social Research Glossary)

a comprehensive definition of participation-observation, with descriptions of different methodologies

Participant-Observation and Field Notes (Ethnographic Action Research Training Handbook)

a toolkit with examples of how to take notes during your participant-observation sessions

Participant Observation (Duke University)

a manual for preparing for and reporting on your participant-observer sessions

Participant Observation (Films on Demand)

a 7-minute video on participant-observation as a research method