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Participant Observation and the Political Scientist: Possibilities, Priorities, and Practicalities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2011

Andra Gillespie  and
Melissa R. Michelson
Andra Gillespie
Affiliation:
Emory University
Melissa R. Michelson
Affiliation:
Menlo College
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Extract

Surveys, experiments, large-N datasets and formal models are common instruments in the political scientist's toolkit. In-depth interviews and focus groups play a critical role in helping scholars answer important political questions. In contrast, participant observation techniques are an underused methodological approach. In this article, we argue that participant observation techniques have played and should continue to play a key role in advancing our understanding of political science. After demonstrating the use of these techniques, we offer readers advice for embarking upon participant observation research and explain how this approach should fit into a scholar's long-term career plans.

Type
Symposium
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 2011 , pp. 261 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2011

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