McCormick+Schmitz Handbook for value chain research on - PACA

Recording a <strong>for</strong>mal interview is not over when you thank the in<strong>for</strong>mant and say goodbye.
A full report should be written while the details are still fresh in your mind. The report
will include all available in<strong>for</strong>mation about the in<strong>for</strong>mant as well as his/her responses to
the questions asked. You may also want to include your observations of the setting and
notes on the in<strong>for</strong>mant’s reliability.
A.4 Observation
All good <strong>research</strong> includes some element of observation. Much can be learned by
observing what people actually do, how they do it, and the setting in which they do it.
Observation involves all of the senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. The careful
observer will consciously study specific aspects of the reality that appear relevant to the
<strong>research</strong> project. While waiting to interview a factory manager, <strong>for</strong> example, a <strong>research</strong>er
may look at the reception area to see if it appears prosperous or down at the heels, observe
certificates or even calendars hanging on the walls, listen to the tone of interactions
between the boss’s secretary and those who visit the office, feel the coolness of the air
conditioning, etc. Sometimes, as described in chapter 13 in the text, you will want to
undertake a more <strong>for</strong>mal exercise of observation.
In that example, the <strong>research</strong>er used the four questions as the framework <strong>for</strong> writing fairly
detailed observations about the process of delivering and receiving homework. She tells
what is going on, describes the environment, names the participants, and gives
in<strong>for</strong>mation on the length of this particular transaction and the frequency of its
occurrence. If this is an early stage of the <strong>research</strong>, she might not yet be sure how to name
the status of the intermediary, so she simply puts a question mark.
The <strong>research</strong>er’s field report, written after the visit, would include all of this in<strong>for</strong>mation.
It might also include a sketch showing the layout of the room in which Maria works
and/or a map of the area indicating the location of all of the outworkers. The report would
include some analysis of the observations, addressing questions such as:
1. How does the setting/environment affect what is going on?
2. What does this transaction mean to participants? To non-participants?
3. Is this linked to the <strong>value</strong> system of the participants or the community?
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