Unobtrusive research (or unobtrusive measures) is a method of data collection used primarily in the
social sciences. The term "unobtrusive measures" was first coined by Webb, Campbell, Schwartz, & Sechrest in a 1966 book titled ''Unobtrusive Measures: nonreactive research in the social sciences''. The authors described methodologies which do not involve
direct elicitation of data from the research subjects. Unobtrusive measures are contrasted with
interviews and
questionnaires, in that they try to find indirect ways to obtain the necessary data. The unobtrusive approach often seeks unusual data sources, such as garbage,
graffiti and
obituaries, as well as more conventional ones such as published statistics.
Unobtrusive measures should not be perceived as an alternative to more reactive methods such as interviews, surveys and
experiments, but rather as an additional tool in the tool chest of the social researcher. Unobtrusive measures can assist in tackling known biases such as
selection bias
Selection bias is the bias introduced by the selection of individuals, groups, or data for analysis in such a way that proper randomization is not achieved, thereby failing to ensure that the sample obtained is representative of the population int ...
and
experimenter's bias. Webb and his colleagues emphasize the importance of triangulating the results obtained through various methodologies, each with its own unique set of (usually unknown)
biases.
The proliferation of
digital media
Digital media is any communication media that operate in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital media can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on a digital electronics device. ' ...
opened a new era for communication researchers in search of unobtrusively obtained data sources. Online communication creates
digital footprints that can allow an analysis of data that are obtained through unobtrusive methods, and are also massively larger than any
corpora obtained via elicitation and human
transcription. These footprints can now be used to analyze topics such as the content of communication events, the process of communication, and the structure of the communicative network. The surge of Internet-sourced research data rekindled the discussion of the
ethical aspects of using unobtrusively obtained data. For example, can all data collected in the public domain be used for research purposes? When should we seek
consent, and is it realistic to require
informed consent
Informed consent is a principle in medical ethics and medical law, that a patient must have sufficient information and understanding before making decisions about their medical care. Pertinent information may include risks and benefits of treatme ...
from sources of unobtrusively collected data? These questions do not have a simple answer, and the solution is a result of a careful and ongoing dialog between researchers, and between researchers and society.
References
* Lee, R. M. (2000).
Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research'. Open University Press.
* Webb, E. J.; Campbell, D. T.; Schwartz, R. D. & Sechrest, L. (2000). ''Unobtrusive Measures''; revised edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc. {{ISBN, 0-7619-2011-0
Social science methodology
Data collection in research