ABSTRACT
Like other areas of technology, software and hardware for observational re search have advanced rapidly in the last few years. The software possibilities for researchers to enter observations range from homemade freeware programs de veloped by other researchers for use in their labs to polished commercial pack ages costing more than $5000. Most of these programs (except a few special purpose packages with preset codes) allow the user to define the behaviors of in terest in a code file. When the observer hits a key or touches the menu on the screen the coded behavior is coded and entered into the data stream along with the time it was entered. Some systems are set up for focal sampling (Roberts, 2002) or interval sampling systems (Greenwood, Carta, & Dawson, 2000; Noldus, Trienes, Hendrisen, Jansen, & Jansen, 2000; Ottoni, 2000). Some systems allow the researcher to enter qualifiers in the data stream such as the person who is receiving the coded action or the intensity of the coded behavior (Magnussen, 2000; Sharpe & Koperwas, 2003). A few packages allow researchers to incorpo rate data streams from sensors or other devices into the coded data stream (Noldus et al., 2000; Sharpe & Koperwas, 2003).
