Quantitative Research Methods

                                           OBSERVATIONS

-In covert observation, the researcher doesn't tell the group they're being observed. The British Sociological Association (BSA) advise that you should only use covert participant observation when there's no other way of obtaining the data. For example, Nigel Fielding (1981) used covert observation when researching the National Front because he believed he would encounter hostility if they knew he was a sociologist. 

-Overt observation is when the group is aware of the research and they know who the researcher is. For example, Beverly Skeggs (1991) used overt observation when studying female sexuality among students at a college.

-Participant observation is when the researcher actively involves…