Qualitative Research Custom Essay

I have already started this paper and will include the page I have already written at the end. Basically, this paper pertains to qualitative research and the problem of reactivity (subjects in research change their behavior when aware they are being observed). I am to use information included in chapters 10 and 13 from the text "The Practice of Social Research" (2012) by Earl Babbie and apply it to real-life situations. The writer may use any real-life examples of issues of reactivity in social research. Below is the beginning of the paper:

Qualitative research is a cycle of observation, collecting and analyzing data. As explained by Babbie (2012), qualitative research seeks a deeper understanding of human conduct and social processes over time; it is “especially appropriate for the study of those attitudes and behaviors best understood within their natural setting, as opposed to the somewhat artificial settings of experiments and surveys” (p. 296). Qualitative research seeks to understand social issues that are not measurable by numbers or statistics. Some examples of qualitative research include: causes of child abuse, reasons for religious conversion, the effects of suicide on surviving family members, etc. Qualitative field research allows the observer to gain a richer understanding of social interactions within their natural setting.

There are many roles of the observer in quantifiable research: complete participant, participant-observer, and complete observer. A complete participant engages in the group or activity that they are studying. Typically, he or she is viewed as a fellow participant rather than a researcher. A participant-observer is a researcher that engages with participants who are aware of his or her role as a researcher. The complete observer has no contact with participants and simply observes their behavior.

A particular aspect of qualitative research that I found interesting is the problem of reactivity. Reactivity occurs when a participant changes his or her regular behavior because of the study. Babbie (2012) explains that reactivity can occur in numerous ways: “First, they might expel the researcher. Second, they might modify their speech and behavior to appear more “respectable” than would otherwise be the case. Third, the social process itself might be radically changed.” (p. 299). People will modify their behavior in many situations when they know they are being observed.