Covert Particpant Observations

Covert Particpant Observations

1. Advantages

   • Practical
     • Access
       • To difficult groups e.g. criminal gangs
     • Behaviour
       • More natural
         • More VALID
     • Hawthorne effect
       • REDUCED
         • More Valid
     • Flexible method
       • can change direction of research where interest takes them
     • Allows rapport to be built with group
     • Allows new theories and hypothesis for research to be formulated
   • Ethical
   • Theoretical
     • Rich qualitative data
       • provides true and accuarte representation= More Validity
         • Interpretivists aim to achieve
     • Verstehen achieved
       • empathetic and subjective understanding
         • :D by Interpretivists