Answers to a series of questions about 'participant observation'

1. Suggest two reasons why participant observation is a 'highly individual technique'. It depends upon the skill and personality of the observer. Also their ability to keep their objectivity throughout the study. 2. Identify two criticisms of letting 'the data speak for itself' in participant observation studies. The reader can interpret the data differently. The reader is also left to their own judgements both of the 'subjects' and the researcher. 3. Suggest two problems that might be experienced …

…question proposes; as the validity increases, the reliability decreases - as the truth of the depiction increases, the provable data decreases. Validity is described concerning its descriptive quality, and description is in the eye of the researcher, what one person see's can be different to another's view. Reliability is described by its inherent need for proof, if different sociologists do the same experiment and get the same, or close results this makes the evidence reliable.