Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Qualitative interaction between the observer and the observed in veterinary epidemiology.
- Journal:
- Preventive veterinary medicine
- Year:
- 1998
- Authors:
- Ducrot, C et al.
- Affiliation:
- Unité · France
Plain-English summary
This research discusses how the way veterinarians and farmers interact can affect the results of studies on animal health. When studies are done on farms, the farmers and their usual advisors often help collect data, which can change what the researchers find. The paper suggests that researchers should think carefully about these interactions when designing their studies and interpreting the results. It includes examples to show how this can happen. Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering these relationships in veterinary research.
Abstract
The phenomenon of qualitative interaction between the research activity and the studied object exists in veterinary epidemiology, as in all observation-based disciplines. Observational studies carried out under farm conditions strongly involve the farmers and the farm's usual advisors in the data collection. This leads to various biological and sociological interactions between the observer and the observed that can modify the results of the study. Some methodological considerations are proposed in order to consider such qualitative interaction, from the designing of the study through to the interpretation of the results. Examples are presented to illustrate these ideas.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9604260/