UNOBTRUSIVE MEASURES - NONREACTIVE RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

• NCJ Number: 48508
• Author(s): E J WEBB; D T CAMPBELL; R D SCHWARTZ; L SECHREST
• Date Published: 1966
• Length: 237 pages
• Contract Number(s): 3-20-001
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Rand McNally and Co
• Sale Source: Rand McNally and Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

MULTIPLE METHODS FOR NONOBTRUSIVE RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES ARE NOTED AND DISCUSSED.

Abstract

FIRST, APPROXIMATIONS TO KNOWLEDGE ARE DISCUSSED, WITH ATTENTION TO RESEARCH DATA NOT OBTAINED BY INTERVIEW OR QUESTIONNAIRE. OPERATIONISM AND MULTIPLE OPERATIONS, INTERPRETABLE COMPARISONS AND PLAUSIBLE RIVAL HYPOTHESES, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VALIDITY, SOURCES OF INVALIDITY OF MEASURES, REACTIVE MEASUREMENT EFFECTS AND RESPONDENT ERROR, INVESTIGATOR ERROR, VARIETIES OF SAMPLING ERROR, ACCESS TO CONTENT, AND OPERATING EASE AND VALIDITY CHECKS ARE EXAMINED. NEXT, RESEARCH METHODS GEARED TO THE STUDY OF PHYSICAL TRACES OF PAST BEHAVIOR ARE DISCUSSED. NATURAL EROSION AND NATURAL ACCRETION MEASURES, CONTROLLED EROSION AND CONTROLLED ACCRETION MEASURES, CORRECTION AND INDEX NUMBERS, AND THE OVERALL EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE DATA ARE EXAMINED. THE FOLLOWING SECTION DISCUSSES AND EVALUATES SOME USES OF DATA PERIODICALLY PRODUCED FOR OTHER THAN SCHOLARLY PURPOSES, BUT WHICH SOCIAL SCIENTISTS OFTEN EXPLOIT. ACTURIAL RECORDS, POLITICAL AND JUDICIAL RECORDS, GOVERNMENT RECORDS, THE MASS MEDIA, DATA TRANSFORMATION AND INDICES OF THE RUNNING RECORDS, AND THE OVERALL EVALUATION OF RUNNING RECORDS ARE EXAMINED. THE NEXT SECTION CONTINUES THE DISCUSSION OF ARCHIVES, CENTERING ON THOSE WHICH ARE MORE CONTINOUS AND USUALLY NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. SALES RECORDS, INDUSTRIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL RECORDS, AND WRITTEN DOCUMENTS ARE DISCUSSED. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY AN EXAMINATION OF SIMPLE OBSERVATION, WITH EMPHASIS ON EXTERIOR PHYSICAL SIGNS, EXPRESSIVE MOVEMENT, PHYSICAL LOCATION, CONVERSATION SAMPLING, TIME DURATION, AND TIME SAMPLING AND OBSERVATION. THE FINAL SECTION DISCUSSES THE INVESTIGATOR'S INTERVENTION INTO THE OBSERVATIONAL SETTING. AVOIDING HUMAN INSTRUMENT ERROR, PHYSICAL SUPPLANTING OF THE OBSERVER, THE INTERVENING OBSERVER, ENTRAPMENT, PETITIONS AND VOLUNTEERING, AND AN APPRAISAL OF HIDDEN HARDWARE AND CONTROL ARE EXAMINED. AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PRIVIDED. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED. (KBL)