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Participant observation: researcher rolesSo, adopting the participant observer role as an existing member of an organisationdoes present opportunities to you. However, it also has its dangers. We shall deal withthese later.9.3 Participant observation: researcher rolesWe have explained what participant observation is, but we have not explained clearlywhat participant observers do. A number of questions may have occurred to you. Forexample, should the participant observer keep his or her purpose concealed? Does theparticipant observer need to be an employee or an organisational member, albeit temporarily?Can the participant observer just observe? The answers here are not straightforward.The role you play as participant observer will be determined by a number offactors. However, before examining those factors, we need to look at the different roles inwhich the participant observer may be cast.Gill and Johnson (2002) develop a fourfold categorisation (Figure 9.1) of the role theparticipant observer can adopt. The roles are:• complete participant;• complete observer;• observer as participant;• participant as observer.The first two of these roles, the complete participant and the complete observer,involve you as the researcher in concealing your identity. This has the significant advantageof your not conditioning the behaviour of the research subjects you are studying. Thesecond two, observer as participant and participant as observer, entail you revealing yourpurpose to those with whom you are mixing in the research setting. Ethically, the lattertwo roles are less problematic.Complete participantThe complete participant role sees you as the researcher attempting to become a memberof the group in which you are performing research. You do not reveal your true purposeto the group members. You may be able to justify this role on pure research groundsResearcher takespart in activityResearcher’sidentity isrevealedParticipantas observerCompleteparticipantResearcher’sidentity isconcealedFigure 9.1Typology ofparticipantobservationresearcher rolesObserveras participantCompleteobserverResearcherobserves activity293