Participant observation in information management studies in Brazil

Abstract

Given the impact caused by the use of information and communication technologies in organizations in their economic and social environment, an increase can be observed in the study about social phenomena. Among the research methods that permit studying these phenomena in depth, participant observation stands out. It enables the researcher to obtain information about the field as an insider, permitting a view of details and of the sequence of events. Since the use of participant observation in studies of Information Management (IM) in Brazil is still incipient, this paper presents essential elements of the method, its main benefits, its difficulties and challenges faced for its adoption. For such, empirical studies of IM that adopted participant observation and a research experience with 12 months in the field were analyzed, discussing the lessons learned and presenting suggestions for promoting the adoption of participant observation in IM research.