Overview
Observational research is type of correlational (i.e., nonexperimental) research in which a researcher observes ongoing behavior. There are a variety of types of observational research, each of which has both strengths and weaknesses. These types are organized below by the extent to which an experimenter intrudes upon or controls the environment
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More from linked webpage:
“Naturalistic observation, also known as nonparticipant observation is simply studying behaviors that occur naturally in natural contexts”
“Participant Observation refers to inserting yourself as a member of a group in order to observe behavior you wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”
“Rosenhan was interested in how diagnoses of mental illness were made. He and seven associates went to different mental institutions and simply said they were hearing voices. They were all admitted to the hospitals, despite the fact that they all acted normally. The range of stays in the hospitals was from a low of 9 days to a high of 52 days (yikes!).”
“Case Study involves a thorough descriptive analysis of a single individual, group, or event.
“Archival research involves an analysis of already-existing data. A hypothesis is generated and then tested by analyzing data that have already been collected. This is a useful approach when one has access to large amounts of information collected over long periods of time. Such databases are available, for example, in longitudinal research that collects information from the same individuals over many years.”