ABSTRACT
Observation has always been a central strand in our methodologies of discovery, science, social and human inquiry, and all our various attempts to know the world and know ourselves. Some natural sciences such as astronomy are more heavily dependent on observation than others that rely more on experimental testing. However, experimental method also relies heavily on observations in order to test hypotheses and questions. The primary emphasis on observation is also present in certain traditions of social and psychological research such as ethnography and the broad tradition of psycho-social research. However, no one should underestimate either the importance of, or the challenges entailed by, rigorous observation whatever variety of “science” is being pursued. If we have not taken the trouble to thoroughly study what is already there to be “seen”, we are at risk of rushing to find explanations and theories for phenomena we cannot even describe fully. Moreover, many answers to important questions are “lying around” if only we know how to look properly. One episode of the famous TV series The Wire is called “Soft Eyes” (HBO, 2006). This refers to the police detective discipline of softening the focus of one’s vision when searching a crime scene for evidence; the “softer” your eyes, the more likely you are to see the small clue, the unexpected, or the hidden.
