Indirect observation is a method of collecting data about the characteristics and properties of an individual phenomenon or situation. In this methodology, the researcher does not study the phenomenon alone, but is satisfied with the impressions derived from secondary sources.
These secondary sources would be statements, records compiled by other scholars, research, books, photos, videos, audio recordings, interviews, articles, graduation papers, etc.
Indirect observation is not intrusive, that is, it respects the privacy of the object to prevent the behavior from being unnatural, as it may feel susceptible to being analyzed, show hostility or believe that it is in danger.
For example, biologists who study wild nocturnal animals use indirect observation. With current technological advances, such as thermal cameras, they can study animals without being in the habitat or having to wait too long.
Despite the advantages of this data collection instrument, many researchers prefer the use of direct observation (if conditions permit), as it can provide more information than indirect observation.
Characteristics of indirect observation
Draw on secondary sources
Indirect observation is comprised of the data gathered by other researches and archived in books, documents, videos, recordings, articles,newspaper among others.
Interviews may also be conducted to collect other people’s impressions. In this sense, indirect observation largely depends on secondary sources.
not intrusive
As the object is not studied directly, it is a non-invasive method. For this reason, the behavior of the phenomenon will not be affected by the presence of an observer.
Your data is qualitative
The data produced by indirect observation are qualitative. What is sought are the properties that can be perceived by the researcher through his senses.
Ideal for descriptive research
It is used in descriptive research, responsible for studying the characteristics of a given phenomenon.
Advantages of indirect observation
1- Reseacher is enable to analyze the observational data of other researchers.
For example, historical events can be compared with current events, allowing new conclusions to be drawn.
2- The researcher even can analyze those facts which are not currently present before him.
3- It is easy to make inferences based on other people’s studies. It should be noted that the validity of these assumptions will depend both on the veracity of the data of the first observer and on the analytical capacity of the second researcher.
4- It could also be that the researcher and the observer have different points of view, which could be useful.
In this sense, the researcher can interpret the observer’s information from another perspective, shedding light on data that previous observers may have ignored.
5- On the other hand, whoever wants to can be an indirect observer in the comfort of their home. This is due to the Internet and mass media that allowed the sharing of large amounts of information.
6- The fact that the researcher does not need to travel to study the phenomenon is favorable.
7- It not only considerably reduces the cost of the investigation, but also protects the physical integrity of the investigator.
Disadvantages of indirect observation
1- One of the disadvantages of indirect observation is that information about the phenomenon you want to study may be scarce. This would represent a limiting factor for the researcher.
2- When a phenomenon is observed indirectly, it is highly dependent on the work of other researchers.
Let’s take as an example that the first observer ignored certain relevant data. In this case, it is very possible that the work of the indirect researcher is concise or of low quality.
Now suppose Observer #1 made mistakes recording the information. In this case, the indirect observer survey is prone to failure if the primary data is not analyzed carefully and source errors are not detected.
For this reason, researchers prefer the use of direct observation, as they rely more on data collected by them than on data provided by others.
3- When conducting interviews to obtain data indirectly, you are at the mercy of the memory of the interviewees, who may omit important information for the researcher or lie.
4- If the sources are not properly managed, plagiarism (intellectual property theft) may occur. This would cause legal problems for the investigator.
When is indirect observation used?
There are several reasons why a researcher prefers indirect observation to other research methods. This includes the following:
1- The object studied is very susceptible and may interpret direct observation as an invasion of its privacy.
2- The object observed is dangerous or may be harmful to the health of the observer. It is preferable to keep your distance.
3- The object is hostile and does not want to cooperate, so secondary sources (family, friends, among others) are used to obtain information about it.
4- The object studied is no longer available to the researcher. For example, the phenomenon may have occurred in the past but is no longer repeated in the present, and all that remains of it are records.
5- The observer does not have the necessary funds to study the object directly. Therefore, you must turn to secondary sources to obtain the necessary data for the investigation.
Example of research with indirect observation
In the example below, video cameras record the behavior of children who have been prepared with a tray of food. No adult or external element intervenes in the experiment. The idea of the research is to see how children will react to food.
It is an indirect observation method, as the researcher is not at the place where the phenomenon is occurring. In addition, cameras are used as a secondary source to visualize behavior.
Actions taken by children are compiled so that researchers can draw on the knowledge or sources of other scholars and thus assess whether there is anything new to review.
