How to Observe or Survey Your Subjects

Most experiments designed to study sociology or human behavior require data collection from human subjects. This data can be collected either through observation studies or questioning the subjects directly. An observation study is one where the researcher simply "observes" the subjects, and has little or no interaction with the subjects while gathering the data. The questioning method of data collection involves direct interaction between the researcher and the subjects, through the use of interviews or surveys. There are pros and cons to each approach:

Note: There are special considerations when designing an experiment involving human subjects. ISEF-affiliated fairs often require an Informed Consent Form for every participant who is questioned or observed. In all cases, the experimental design must be approved by a scientific review board prior to the commencement of experiments or surveys. Please refer to the ISEF rules for additional important requirements for studies involving human subjects: http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/.

If you are uncertain which technique is best for your project here is a quick guide to help you decide:

Designing Your Study

Now that you have an idea of which type of study you will be conducting, you need to design your study. Each of these research techniques (questioning and observation) can be designed in a variety of ways depending on the objective of your study and the type of data you are trying to collect. Following are some features you should consider when designing your study:

• Designing an Observation Study
• Designing a Survey
• How Many Survey Participants Do I Need?