Observation in the Social Sciences
Introduction to Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology
HSP 3U
TASK:
For this assignment you will:
 Monitor social groups for a total of three or more (3+) hours and gather field
notes using unstructured observation.
 You may also design a ‘social experiment’ using a friend as a confederate.
 Track your data through research notes that include a data tracking sheet,
and timeline
 Present your findings using the Inquiry Model (i.e. Question, Hypothesis, etc.)
 Summarizes the challenges you encountered as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this research
method. Develop an extension question that you would pose for further research. (In Conclusion)
SAMPLE TOPICS:
 Do teens respect authority figures?
 Are Starbucks customers mostly blonde girls?
 Are arts students more ‘drama?’
 How do people react to random conversations
with strangers?


Do male students bring their lunch more often
than female students?
Are front row students more engaged than back
row students?
TIPS:
 Select ONE social setting
 Your inquiry must be about something that you can observe in a social setting.
 Your inquiry must be something that you track numerically (quantitative)
It is important to choose a setting that is of interest to you. Here are some options for the social setting:
-School cafeteria
-School library or public library
-A religious institution (church/temple)
-Shopping mall
-Movie theatre foyer
-Public transit bus
-OR any other setting where you can examine social groups
STRUCTURE OF REPORT:
1. Title Page
 Title of observation
 Course name and course code
 Student name
 Teacher name
 Date
 Number of pages
2. Research Notes
 Timeline with point form notes
 Data Tracking Sheet
3. Findings Using the Inquiry Model
 Approximately 1000 words (4 pages) - excluding charts, figures and research notes
 1 inch margins
 11 point font, Calibri only
Your inquiry question and hypothesis should be about something of interest to you. It is important to choose a
statement/question that can be proven correct/incorrect by further research. The DUE DATE for this assignment is at
the beginning of class, on _____________________________.
Observation in the Social Sciences
The Report - In Detail
This is a formal, written report (much like a lab report in science). It should be neatly laid out with the following
subtitles, and 4+ pages long.
1) Research Question
2) Hypothesis
3) Method – Explain in detail why you decided to observe your setting, how you observed the people, and how you
avoided bias and ethical issues.
4) Analysis - What were your results? Use your data (in percentage form) to support your response.- You must have
one graph showing only your MOST IMPORTANT finding. Easiest way is to you Microsoft Excel. There are many useful
instruction websites available on the net.
6)
Conclusion - This part should be relatively long and you should try to explain what ‘this all means in the big
picture.’ Was your hypothesis correct or incorrect? Was there enough data to draw valid conclusions? An incorrect
hypothesis is NOT a wrong answer. Also, write a short paragraph which addresses the following questions:
What problems did you encounter? What would you do differently next time? What other questions or areas of
research came to light as a result of your research? Are there ethical problems with your research? Are there reliability
issues with your research?
Evaluation:
Name ___________________________
Criteria
Not Demonstrated
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Knowledge &
Understanding
Understanding of
challenges as well as
advantages and
disadvantages of
research methods
Issues:
Demonstrates
limited
understanding of
challenges as well
as advantages and
disadvantages of
research method
Demonstrates
some
understanding of
challenges as well
as advantages and
disadvantages of
research method
Demonstrates
considerable
understanding of
challenges as well
as advantages and
disadvantages of
research method
Demonstrates
exceptional
understanding of
challenges as well
as advantages and
disadvantages of
research method
Thinking & Inquiry
Findings based on
employment
of inquiry model
Issues:
Employs the
inquiry model with
limited
effectiveness
Employs the
inquiry model with
adequate
effectiveness
Employs the
inquiry model with
considerable
effectiveness
Employs the
inquiry model with
exceptional
effectiveness
Communication
Appropriate spelling,
grammar, and
punctuation
Issues:
Written with
limited clarity;
difficult to
understand; many
errors in spelling
and grammar
Written with
considerable
clarity; relatively
easy to
understand; few
errors in spelling
and grammar
Written with a
high degree of
clarity; easy to
understand; no
errors in spelling
and grammar
Application
Depth of Research
notes
Issues:
Research notes are
limited in detail
and scope
Written with
moderate clarity;
some parts are
difficult to
understand;
several errors in
spelling and
grammar
Research notes are
adequate in detail
and scope
Research notes are
sound in detail and
scope
Research notes are
thorough in detail
and scope
What I liked about your assignment:
What you might like to try next time: