The 3 Cs—Context, Content, and Concepts—Approach to Field Observations
| Category | Definition | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Context | The circumstances (both material and theoretical) under which observations are being conducted, as well as any historical, sociocultural, political, and other information that may directly (or indirectly) influence data collection | Who is there as observer? |
| What is your reason for being there? | ||
| Why this location? | ||
| What is your state of mind (eg, confused, unhappy, tired, excited)? | ||
| What are your key areas of (observational) interest based on your prior research experience and/or scholarly background? | ||
| Content | The matter or substance of what happened | Who are the participants? How are they related, if at all (eg, physicians and patients, work colleagues, friends or family members, cancer survivors)? |
| How do participants interact? | ||
| What actions/events are occurring? | ||
| What is the timing/sequence of events? | ||
| What quotes best capture the exchange that occurred? | ||
| Concepts | The larger theoretical context to which observations connect, either as evidence of or refutation of theory; theoretical insights that emerge from observations (as in grounded theory); directions for future research | What have you learned that you did not know before? |
| Does this observation help support or refute your hypothesis/expectations? | ||
| How is this observation related to prior observations or to your reading of the scholarly literature? | ||
| What are some potential implications of what you have observed? | ||
| What new questions (research or otherwise) arise from this observation? | ||
| How do participants respond to the presence of an observer? (Are they excited, anxious, skeptical, wary, etc?) | ||
| What historical or current events may influence this response? |