Participant observation is a variant of the above natural observations but here the researcher joins in and becomes part of the group they are studying to get a deeper insight into their lives. The studies and observations group aka sog, macsog, and macvsog was a joint unconventional warfare task force created on 24 january 1964 by the joint chiefs of staff as a subsidiary command of the military assistance command, vietnam macv. Secondary data may be used in both quantitative and qualitative research, but involves the use of previouslypublished information for analysis. Macvsogmilitary assistance command, vietnam special operations group later renamed studies and observations group was the elite military unit of the vietnam war, so secret that its existence was denied by the u. Studies and observation group was tasked with finding out what the enemy was doing along the ho chi min trail and where his major units were located in these suposedly neutral countries. Sof are designed to be a tool for achieving strategic objectives but recent operational. Methodological strengths, limitations, and documenting field notes will be discussed. This post provides some more recent examples of research studies which employed participant observation as their main research method.
Crosssectional studies, on the other hand, involve just one observation from a sample at one time. Special operations forces sof are a limited resource that cannot be rapidly produced. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Macvs studies and observations group was once so secret that the u. The unit conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in republic. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1990s the work of masters and johnson began in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at washington university in st. In 1961 and 1962 the ciatrained and sponsored 1st observation group was formed to counter communist operations along the trail. Embedding into a scene as a participant inevitably means that the information collected is, in certain ways, unique to the individual collecting the data. Armys special forces green berets, air force combat controllers, navy seals and other units channeled personnel into macvsog through special. Established on 24 january 1964, the unit conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in republic of vietnam south vietnam, the democratic. If it were research on animals we would now not only be studying them in their natural habitat but be living alongside them as well. Macvsogmilitary assistance command, vietnamspecial operations group later renamed studies and observations groupwas the elite military unit of the vietnam war, so secret that its existence was denied by the u. The key way to identify experimental studies is that they involve an intervention such as the administration of a drug to one group of patients and a placebo to another group.
Participant observation is based on the social sciences, particularly social anthropology and on the premise that you go and study a different, and often remote culture. Throughout the first indochina war 194654, communist insurgents in northern vietnam wrestled with the challenge of shuttling supplies from the peoples republic of china to their comrades on southern battlefields. He has written two nonfiction books on sog secret wars. Some relatively recent examples of participant observation. As a result, the subjects being studied are limited to certain ages, genders, ethnicities, or other characteristics, which means a studys findings cannot be generalized to the population as a whole.
Sog, macv studies and observations group behind enemy. Observational studies are not always defined within the traditional framework of por, but can be an important type of por see also chapter 43. Overall, the action group earned quiz grades that were about 7 percent higher than the observation group, even though they had fairly matched grades on other quizzes during the quarter. Military assistance command, vietnam studies and observations group macvsog was a highly classified, multiservice united states special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the vietnam war. John plaster whose books originally inspired me to research this topic. While providing an introduction to basic principles and strategies, this volume also explores the philosophy and methodology underlying the actual practice of participant observation. Behind enemy lines historical evolution volume i as. Studies and observation group sog, special operations in vietnam. By using the materials in this book, readers can begin conducting participant observation research on their own.
The masters and johnson research team, composed of william h. Times of disease and pestilence have much to tell us about the human condition. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The aim of the group is to understand the missions macvsog undertook during the vietnam war by exploring its tactics and equipment through living history displays, reenactments and. Military assistance command, vietnam studies and observations. May 07, 2020 participant observation is a type of research strategy. Observations range from counting something that happens, for example, pings on a. Stdrvn macvsog pictures studies and observation group. Observation, particularly participant observation, has been the hallmark of much of the research conducted in anthropological and sociological studies and is a typical methodological approach of. Current search studies and observation group vietnam sog, macv studies and observations group by harve saal, 1990 vol 14 in collectibles, militaria, vietnam 196175 ebay. Vietnam recon team still mia after 47 years sofrep. From theoretical works to case studies and research experiments to political treatises, read on to discover some of the major sociological works that have helped define and shape the fields of sociology and the social sciences. Nov 30, 2019 naturalistic observation studies typically involve observing a limited number of settings.
Need for a revised approach to evaluating observational studies. Cohort studies and casecontrol studies are two primary types of observational studies that aid in evaluating associations between diseases and exposures. Codenamed the studies and observations group, sog was the most secret elite u. Glen oliver lane and the fate of his small recon team still haunt me to this day. While anyone living in a traditional village in india would become aware of the caste system and. For other sources of data collection see our pages. Participant observation and nonparticipant observation. This page covers two major potential sources of research data. Macvsog military assistance command, vietnam studies and observation group was an unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout southeast asia. It is a process that is guided by rational principles and assumptions, and motivated by an interest in obtaining data on occurrences, events, processes, reactions, forms of conduct and relationships. Plaster served three oneyear tours with macvsog, and his book sog. Smashwords the misuse of the studies and observation group. The unit would eventually consist primarily of personnel from the united states army special forces, the united states navy seals, the united states. Assistance commandvietnam studies and observations group or sog.
Such studies are often important to generate the hypotheses, for subsequent interventional studies. Qualitative data collection tools is a new and unique supplementary text that will guide students and new researchers to design, develop, pilot, and employ qualitative tools in order to collect qualitative data. Jenny davidson, professor of english and comparative literature at columbia university, suggests some of the best books to read if youre selfisolating or in quarantine. The natural behaviour of the respondent can be studied by participant observation. Behind enemy lines historical evolution volume i as want to read. Coronavirus books jenny davidson on the best books to read in quarantine. More this excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowingtext ebook format reproduction. This process he describes of becoming a part of the community, while observing their behaviors and activities, is called participant observation. Jul 22, 2008 the military assistance command, vietnam studies and observations group macvsog was a highly classified, multiservice united states special forces unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the vietnam war. Introduction assessing risk of bias and confounding in. Seely, steven grinspoon, in clinical and translational science second edition, 2017. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
The appeal to management research is that it can study the culture of an organisation in depth. The group reported directly to the pentagons joint chiefs of staff. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. Observation, as the name implies, is a way of collecting data through observing. The group reported directly to the pentagons joint chiefs of staff, and much of its history and exploits. It is a process that is guided by rational principles and assumptions, and motivated by an interest in obtaining data on occurrences, events, processes, reactions, forms of. Observational studies only collect data and make comparisons. Templates of interview protocols, focus group moderator guides, content analysis tools, document analysis tools, reflective questionnaires, diary and journal logs, and observational rubrics give the reader either a cut and paste solution for their own research or a starting point to design their own personalized qualitative tools. Zepeda this post answers frequently asked questions about schoolbased book study groups. How topsecret commando unit sog took on the most dangerous. From 1964 to 1972, far beyond the battlefields of vietnam and the glare of media distortions, american green berets and their indigenous troops fought a deadly secret war in laos, cambodia and north vietnam under the aegis of the top secret military assistance command vietnam studies and observations group, or simply sog. Mac v sog 1964 jsofsea operation assignment ussocom. Command, vietnam, studies and observations group macvsog.
A starter guide to unclassifed, open source articles and books related to sof operations. The unit would eventually consist primarily of personnel from the united states army special forces, the united states navy seals, the. Participant observation as a data collection method. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read participant observation. Military assistance command, vietnam studies and observations group macvsog was a.
The primary question this thesis aims to answer isdid the studies and observation. Understand how to collect data on individualgroup activities and social interactions through ethnographic fieldwork and participantobservation. Participant observation qualitative research guide. The history of participant observation as a method. Plaster born 1949 is a former united states army special forces officer regarded as one of the leading sniper experts in the world. Observational studies often involve recruitment of patients and the interaction of the investigators with subjects to obtain natural history data. Volume 3, legends hardcover january 1, 1990 by harve saal author. The best books on the art of observation five books. Asked all participants whether they used tanning beds.
Observational research and secondary data skillsyouneed. Participant observation is one the main research methods on the a level sociology syllabus, but many of the examples in the main text books are painfully out of date. The studies and observations group aka sog, macsog, and macvsog was a top secret, joint unconventional warfare task force created on 24 january 1964 by the joint chiefs of staff as a subsidiary command of the military assistance command, vietnam macv. Midnight on april 30, 1972, the men, the missions, and macv studies and observations group became history. Taking a thoroughly practical approach to the methods of participant observation, jorgensen illustrates these methods with both classic and current research studies. Observational studies are descriptive in nature and often lead to the determination of associations. Oplan 34a was the blueprint for department of defense control of the covert war in vietnam. Aug 31, 2016 the primary question this study aims to answer is did the studies and observation group sog covert and clandestine operations contribute significantly to the vietnam war effort.
Epidemiological studies and ecological studies use observational research but on a larger group scale. Command vietnamstudies and observations group, or simply sog. Covert participant observation pearsons 2009 covert participant. The primary question this study aims to answer is did the studies and observation group sog covert and clandestine operations contribute significantly to the vietnam war effort.
Qualitative data collection tools sage publications inc. Secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam by john l. Selected a group of people who had skin cancer and another group of people who did not have skin cancer group membership based on innate characteristics in the subjects they were not assigned to a group. Assistance command vietnam, studies and observation group macvsog or just sog was a special operations task force formed officially on 24 january 1964 as part of operation parasolswitchback under oplan 34a. The military assistance commandvietnam studies and observations groupa case study in special operations campaigning, by major ian w. War veteran who served in the covert studies and observations group sog. Observation data collection method is classified as a participatory study, because the researcher has to immerse herself in the setting where her respondents are, while taking notes andor recording. It is a widely used methodology in many disciplines, particularly, cultural anthropology, but also sociology, communication studies, and social psychology. Using ethnographic methods and participant observation. Searching out hidden enemy enclaves small teams of american speaical foreces consisting of this book is bitchin. Observational studies often involve recruitment of patients and the interaction of the investigators with subjects to obtain natural. Sog, macv studies and observations group behind enemy lines. Jun 30, 2017 participant observation is one the main research methods on the a level sociology syllabus, but many of the examples in the main text books are painfully out of date. Statisticsmethods of data collectionobservational studies.
Participant observation qualitative research guide ucsf. Participant observation is a type of research strategy. Learning by doing helps students perform better in science. Naturalistic observation studies typically involve observing a limited number of settings. A decorated vietnam war veteran who served in the covert studies and observations group sog. The aim of the group is to understand the missions macvsog undertook during the vietnam war by exploring its tactics and equipment. An oftenomitted subject in general qualitative textbooks, qualitative tools form the backbone of the data collection process. Smashwords the misuse of the studies and observation. Secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam by john.
Longitudinal studies are when researchers make repeat observations of the same sample over time sometimes even over decades. Observational methods of collecting data have been used by scientists and. Observation as a deliberate, organized and systematic form of looking or watching is integral to all scientific inquiry. For beilock, the findings stressed the importance of classroom practices that physically engage students in the learning process, especially for math and science. Strategic technical directorate military assistance. When a group knows that they are going to be observed by a stranger, they feel conscious, uncomfortable and therefore neutrality in their behaviour and activity is lost. A methodology for human studies ebook written by danny l. Military assistance command vietnam studies and observation group macvsog military assistance command, vietnam studies and observation group was an unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout southeast asia. Observation data collection method is classified as a participatory study, because the researcher has to immerse herself in the setting where her respondents are, while taking notes and or recording. The misuse of the studies and observation group as a. Sampling and sample design, surveys and survey design and quantitative and qualitative research methods. Such data may include historical archives, company records, and census data. The following titles are considered extremely influential and are widely taught. Thanks to its partnership with publisher eye on education, educationworld is pleased to reprint the blog post why should i start or join a book study group.
788 129 1420 1625 900 62 477 207 125 335 1419 215 783 339 282 564 1412 580 430 1026 1213 978 930 1381 1272 866 1072 1500 1383 1042 253 697 754 730 206 1123 1484