or 3 is a crowd as it is otherwise known. In a typical observation scenario there would probably be a team of two doing the research; that would be the lead researcher and possibly either a local facilitator, in international research, or one observer. However, there will be times when the end client, the people who commission and pay for the research, would like to send representatives to some of the sessions. While I would definitely advocate inviting clients to visits, always be aware that not all participants live in spacious houses or flats. I have been to a session where three of us were struggling to share the space with the participant and her baby son. We overcrowded the flat making observation close to impossible, it could have been worse, we could have made the participant feel uncomfortable and completely waste a session. In that instance we abandoned the idea of oservation and opted to a converstaion round the kitchen table enjoying a nice drink.
So,
- Always confirm with participants before visiting
- Be aware that participants may feel uncomfortable
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