Archival data provide the most accurate information for researchers. The use of archival data does not allow researchers to study interesting questions.

When Mrs. Gonzalez asks elementary school children to indicate the number of books they had borrowed from the school library during the past month, what type of observational method is she using? study all issues or phenomena.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods of describing behavior? Qualitative research focuses on people behaving in natural settings, whereas quantitative research focuses on specific behaviors that can be easily counted.

Archival research data may be collected from numerical records, verbal documents, or visual artifacts, including those found on websites. Documents or other records from which a researcher samples. Ex. example would be the research reports selected for use in a meta-analysis.

Which of the following is an advantage of conducting a naturalistic observation? It can be used to provide a complete and accurate picture of what occurred in a setting. A good naturalistic observation will support the analysis by using: multiple confirmations.

Other disadvantages of naturalistic observation include:

• People might behave differently when they know they are being watched.
• People might change their behavior to conform to what they think the researchers expect to see.
• Different observers can draw different conclusions from the same witnessed behavior.

The greatest benefit of naturalistic observation is the validity, or accuracy, of information collected unobtrusively in a natural setting.

The Pros and Cons of Surveys

• Pros of Surveys. Great for Gathering Qualitative Feedback. Perfect for Collecting Emotional Feedback. More Direct than Interpreting Usage Data. Lower Cost / More Practical than building all the alternatives.
• Cons of Surveys. Sampled data not full data. Customer fatigue. Not Objective Responses. Biases and Effects.

Respondents may not be fully aware of their reasons for any given answer because of lack of memory on the subject, or even boredom. Surveys with closed-ended questions may have a lower validity rate than other question types. Data errors due to question non-responses may exist.

The definition of an observation is the act of noticing something or a judgment or inference from something seen or experienced. An example of observation is the watching of Haley’s Comet. An example of observation is making the statement that a teacher is proficient from watching him teach several times. noun.

Focus on what the child is doing and avoid using judgemental language. For example: good, silly, excellent (this doesn’t describe what’s happening). Be Factual – describe only what actually happened. Be Relevant – include details of direct quotes and information about the context of the observation.

Start with a specific focus.

1. Pick an infant or toddler in your care to observe and make notes about what you see.
2. Focus on a specific domain or goal to understand how the child interacts with peers or family, or when exploring objects.
3. Use a checklist or other form to help you observe and track development.

From birth through to early childhood, children use their senses to explore and try to make sense of the world around them. They do this by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, moving and hearing.

Anecdotal records are written in the past tense….When writing…

1. Describe exactly what you see and hear; do not summarize behaviour or what you are observing.
2. Use words conveying exactly what a child said and did.
3. Record what the child did when playing or solving a problem, their interests basically anything.

An anecdote is a short story, usually serving to make the listeners laugh or ponder over a topic. For example, if a group of coworkers are discussing pets, and one coworker tells a story about how her cat comes downstairs at only a certain time of the night, then that one coworker has just told an anecdote.

An anecdotal record is a detailed descriptive narrative recorded after a specific behavior or interaction occurs. Anecdotal records inform teachers as they plan learning experiences, provide information to families, and give insights into identifying possible developmental delays.

Anecdotal records are brief notes teachers take as they observe children. The notes document a range of behaviors in areas such as literacy, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts, social and emotional development, and physical development.