ABSTRACT
An intern assumes the role of a participant-observer, who is someone who works in and studies a particular setting as well as the people and events within that setting. For most students, this is a new role, requiring different skills than those employed in the classroom. This chapter discusses some standard methodologies for describing, analyzing, and assessing the experience. These methods will help you to gain the most from an internship experience as well as assist in written assignments associated with the course. As interns/participant-observers become immersed in the setting, the line between studentresearcher and -worker in the agency can become blurred. The intern must remember that he or she is a student who is there to learn firsthand about the field of criminal justice.
