Question

what is the first step in creating a structured observation

Answer 1

A structured observation is a technique of directly observing based on the purpose. It examines a person, a group of people, an object or an event in all aspects. The first step in creating a structured observation is deciding if a resource person is needed.

One of the first decision is deciding if a resource person is needed which involves two steps. They are:

• Assessing the need for a resource person: Getting the help of a resource person will be very useful but it depends on many factors like size of the study, resources, team members and experience of the researcher. By using resource person the outcome of the research will be fruitful. It is useful to have a resource person especially when the researcher doesn't have much experience in this method.
• Who can be the resource person: The main role of a resource person is to design the protocol and to help the researcher to carry out the study step by step. A social scientist is an apt person to be a resource person because he will have a sound knowledge, skills and experience in structured observation method. If it is not possible to find a social scientist, get a person who has a sound knowledge regarding health care and experience in conducting structured observation.