PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Michael D. Fetters
AU  - Ellen B. Rubinstein
TI  - The 3 Cs of Content, Context, and Concepts: A Practical Approach to Recording Unstructured Field Observations
AID  - 10.1370/afm.2453
DP  - 2019 Nov 01
TA  - The Annals of Family Medicine
PG  - 554--560
VI  - 17
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/6/554.short
4100  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/6/554.full
SO  - Ann Fam Med2019 Nov 01; 17
AB  - Most primary care researchers lack a practical approach for including field observations in their studies, even though observations can offer important qualitative insights and provide a mechanism for documenting behaviors, events, and unexpected occurrences. We present an overview of unstructured field observations as a qualitative research method for analyzing material surroundings and social interactions. We then detail a practical approach to collecting and recording observational data through a “3 Cs” template of content, context, and concepts. To demonstrate how this method works in practice, we provide an example of a completed template and discuss the analytical approach used during a study on informed consent for research participation in the primary care setting of Qatar.