Mays N, Pope C
King's Fund Institute, London.
BMJ. 1995 Jul 15;311(6998):182-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.311.6998.182.
Clinicians used to observing individual patients, and epidemiologists trained to observe the course of disease, may be forgiven for misunderstanding the term observational method as used in qualitative research. In contrast to the clinician or epidemiologist, the qualitative researcher systematically watches people and events to find out about behaviours and interactions in natural settings. Observation, in this sense, epitomises the idea of the researcher as the research instrument. It involves "going into the field"--describing and analysing what has been seen. In health care settings this method has been insightful and illuminating, but it is not without pitfalls for the unprepared researcher.
习惯于观察个体患者的临床医生，以及接受过观察疾病进程培训的流行病学家，若误解定性研究中使用的观察方法，或许情有可原。与临床医生或流行病学家不同，定性研究者会系统地观察人和事件，以了解自然环境中的行为和互动。从这个意义上说，观察体现了将研究者作为研究工具的理念。它涉及“深入实地”——描述和分析所观察到的情况。在医疗环境中，这种方法颇具洞察力且富有启发性，但对于毫无准备的研究者来说并非没有陷阱。
