Observers in Field Research
Observers play a crucial role in field research. Their main task is to capture nonverbal expressions, study how the research participants interact with each other and how they communicate, and check how the participants spend their time doing different activities (Ezeh, 2003)-. Observation is key as it helps to capture information that would otherwise not be captured in questionnaires, interviews, and through other direct personal interaction with the participant. In short, it helps to get a third party view of the actual situation. For instance, it is difficult for a teacher to give an accurate description of how he/she interacts with the students. However, a researcher can observe and truly measure the quality of the teacher’s interaction with the students. Observation also provides a researcher with the opportunity to confirm the responses that the research participants gave in interviews or questionnaires. It, therefore, enables the researcher to detect any discrepancies in the data collected. Criminal justice researchers can use observation to spy on suspects after questioning them and determine whether the responses they gave during the questionings are accurate.
Focus Groups in Qualitative Research
Focus group is one of the best qualitative approaches when it comes to gaining better insight on social issues such as criminal justice. The main purpose of focus groups is to get the researcher to come into personal contact with a few of the participants in a bid to gain firsthand information from them (Brown, 2015) . In criminal justice, focus groups can be used to bring together those who have already served time in jail and monitor their progress over time. These participants can be asked to meet the researcher in groups and discuss how they feel about life after serving their time. This may be crucial for a researcher in determining how jail time impacts those who have served. Focus groups can influence public policy in terms of dealing with crime-related issues as there are ethical issues that arise from the researcher coming to contact with the participants. There is also a concern about how the participants may be chosen.
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References
Brown, S. (2015). Using focus groups in naturally occurring settings. Qualitative Research Journal , 15 (1), 86-97. doi: 10.1108/qrj-11-2013-0068
Ezeh, P. (2003). Participant Observation. Qualitative Research , 3 (2), 191-205. doi: 10.1177/14687941030032003
