Unobtrusive Methods and Ethnography Flashcards
(37 cards)
What are unobtrusive methods?
Research methods where subjects do not know they are being observed or measured.
What is the main purpose of unobtrusive methods?
To eliminate reactivity, preventing people from changing their behaviour for the researcher.
Give examples of reactive methods.
Experiments, Surveys, Interviews.
What is physical trace analysis
Studying physical evidence of human activity (e.g. worn floors, garbage).
What are erosion measures?
Signs of wear (e.g., worn carpet shows high traffic).
What are accretion measures?
Things left behind (e.g., garbage, graffiti).
What is garbology?
Studying behaviour by analysing trash.
What is archival analysis?
Using existing records created outside the study (e.g., medical or legal records).
Name two types of public archival records.
Actuarial records (birth, marriage) and commercial media (TV, Twitter).
What is content analysis?
Studying media messages (e.g., books, ads, lyrics)
Difference between quantitative and qualitative content analysis?
Quantitative = counts (e.g., word frequency), Qualitative = themes and meaning.
What is secondary data analysis?
Reanalyzing existing data for a new purpose.
What are key sources for secondary analysis?
Statistics Canada (e.g., census, health surveys).
What is triangulation?
Using multiple methods to improve research validity.
One pro of unobtrusive methods?
No risk of participant bias.
One con of unobtrusive methods?
Interpretation may be biased or limited by data availability.
What is digital media research?
Using online content as data (e.g., Reddit posts, tweets).
Ethical issues in digital research?
Consent, privacy, and verifying digital identities.
What is ethnography?
Systematic study of people and cultures in their natural setting.
What is the goal of ethnography?
To tell a credible and authentic story about a group’s way of life.
What is participant observation?
Researcher observes and participates in the daily life of the group.
What is “deep hanging out”?
Long-term engagement with a group to build trust and gather data.
What does “reflexive” mean in ethnography?
Researchers acknowledge their influence on the research.
What is purposive sampling in ethnography?
Selecting participants likely to provide rich information.
