ABSTRACT
Observational research has a long and increasingly distinguished history, particularly in the social sciences. In the most general sense, observational research comprises collecting primary data through looking and noting. As you would expect with such a general description, the nature, scope and types of observational research vary enormously. We shall group observational research into a number of key categories using first of all the extent to which the observations are systematic or relatively unstructured and second, the extent to which the observer is a participant or remains an outside observer. However, we must then query the background to this approach to data collection.
