• Catherine Walshe, Gail Ewing, and Jane Griffiths.
• The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, UK. catherine.walshe@manchester.ac.uk
• Palliat Med. 2012 Dec 1;26(8):1048-54.

BackgroundObservational research methods are important for understanding people's actions, roles and behaviour. However, these techniques are underused generally in healthcare research, including research in the palliative care field.AimThe aim in this paper is to place qualitative observational data collection methods in their methodological context and provide an overview of issues to consider when using observation as a method of data collection. This paper discusses practical considerations when conducting palliative care research using observation.FindingsObservational data collection methods span research paradigms, and qualitative approaches contribute by their focus on 'natural' settings which allow the explanation of social processes and phenomena. In particular, they can facilitate understanding of what people do and how these can alter in response to situations and over time, especially where people find their own practice difficult to articulate. Observational studies can be challenging to carry out: we focus on the potentially problematic areas of sampling, consent and ethics, data collection and recording, data management and analysis.ConclusionQualitative observational data collection methods can contribute to theoretical and conceptual development and the explanation of social processes in palliative care. In particular this contribution to understanding care structures and processes should improve understanding of patients' experiences of their care journey and thus impact on care outcomes.

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