ABSTRACT
Observation is a process which, at a basic level, is concerned with watching, or at a more advanced level, systematically investigating. It involves making judgements about what is seen, which are made either hurriedly and superficially or after a reflective analysis of carefully collected evidence. Strategies used to record evidence are as varied and as wide-ranging as the observation techniques themselves. On the one hand, comparatively loose, open-ended ways of reconstructing events and documenting information through field notes or diaries can be used; on the other, focused, preordained, elaborately constructed rating scales and observation schedules. All are useful and will yield different results. Recording evidence does not necessarily involve direct observation, and interviews, questionnaires and photographs are also effective methods of data collection. Strategies can be grouped under the following headings:
precise designs;
descriptions (usually after the event);
methods other than observation.
