write an essay on observation

How to Begin an Observation Essay: Tips and Strategies

• December 8, 2023
• Study Guides

Welcome to our guide on how to start an observation essay . Whether you’re a student or a professional writer, beginning an observation essay can sometimes be a challenging task. It requires careful planning, attention to detail, and an ability to capture the essence of the subject or event you’re observing. In this article, we’ll provide you with valuable tips and strategies to help you kickstart your observation essay effectively.

Here's What You'll Learn

Before we dive into the tips and strategies, let’s briefly discuss what an observation essay is. It is a type of paper where you provide remarks and findings about an individual, group, or event, focusing on specific details. Your goal is to describe your observations on a particular theme, engaging your readers through vivid descriptions and sensory details.

Now, let’s explore some key takeaways that will guide you through the process of beginning your observation essay:

Key Takeaways:

• Write in the present tense to establish a sense of immediacy and connection to the event.
• Structure your essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Include a hook, background information, and a clear thesis statement in your introduction.
• Develop your thesis statement with arguments and facts in the body paragraphs.
• Summarize and analyze your main ideas and arguments in the conclusion.

By following these tips and strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to begin your observation essay and captivate your readers from the start. Remember, the more you practice and refine your writing skills, the better your observation essays will become.

Paper Structure for an Observation Essay

The structure of an observation essay is similar to other essays, consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each section plays a specific role in presenting and analyzing the observations made.

The Introduction:

The introduction of an observation essay should grab the reader’s attention and provide background information on the topic. It should also include a clear thesis statement that highlights the main idea or argument of the essay. For example:

“Through the detailed observations of [topic], this essay aims to explore [specific focus or research question].”

The Body Paragraphs:

The body paragraphs of an observation essay are where the writer presents and analyzes their observations. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect or finding, supporting it with evidence and examples. It is essential to use descriptive language and sensory details to paint a vivid picture for the reader. Additionally, incorporating relevant quotes from interviews or other sources can add depth to the analysis.

The Conclusion:

The conclusion of an observation essay should provide a summary of the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. It should also offer a reflection on how the observations connect to the overall thesis statement and research question. This section helps to solidify the writer’s argument and leaves the reader with a sense of closure.

When writing an observation essay, it is important to adhere to the technical requirements set by the academic level and field of study. These may include specific formatting guidelines such as font size, spacing, citation style, and an appropriate structure for headings and subheadings. Following these requirements ensures a cohesive and professional presentation of the essay.

Table: Differences between Observation Essays and other Essay Types

In conclusion , understanding the structure of an observation essay is crucial for effectively presenting your findings and arguments. By following the suggested format, you can create a well-organized and engaging essay that captures the reader’s attention and provides a comprehensive analysis of your observations.

Tips for Starting an Observation Essay

Starting an observation essay can sometimes be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can capture your readers’ attention from the very beginning. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Begin with a brief overview

One effective way to start your observation essay is by providing a concise summary of the topic and your thesis statement. This sets the stage for what readers can expect throughout the essay.

Pose a thought-provoking question

Another approach to engage your readers is by asking a question related to the topic. This invites them to think critically and encourages them to continue reading to find the answer.

Capture attention with an interesting fact or description

Hook your readers by sharing a surprising fact or vividly describing the main setting of your observation. This creates intrigue and makes readers more eager to delve into your essay.

Employ a delay strategy or personal anecdote

To add an element of suspense or connect the past to the present, you can gradually reveal the subject of your observation essay. Alternatively, you can share a personal experience that relates to the topic, drawing readers in through your own perspective.

Remember, the starting strategy you choose should align with your essay’s requirements and target audience. Experiment with different approaches, take breaks to gain fresh perspectives, and seek feedback to refine your observation essay. By implementing these tips, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a captivating and engaging piece.

How should I begin an observation essay?

To start an observation essay, you can use various strategies. One approach is to provide a brief overview of the essay’s topic and thesis statement in a few short sentences. Another effective strategy is to pose a thought-provoking question related to the topic, inviting readers to consider the answer. Alternatively, you can grab readers’ attention by starting with an interesting fact or vivid description of the main setting. Additionally, you can add intrigue by relating a past experience to the present or gradually revealing the subject. Choose a strategy that aligns with your essay’s requirements and engages your target audience.

What is the structure of an observation essay?

The structure of an observation essay typically consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should include a captivating hook to grab the reader’s attention, provide background information on the topic, and present a clear and concise thesis statement that highlights the main idea of your essay. The body paragraphs are used to develop the thesis statement by presenting arguments, supporting evidence, and discussing the pros and cons of certain ideas. The conclusion should analyze how the thesis statement was developed throughout the essay and provide a succinct overview of the arguments and ideas presented.

What are some tips for starting an observation essay?

When starting an observation essay , it’s helpful to create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a coherent flow of ideas. To make your essay more engaging, use sensory details to vividly describe the scene and capture the mood in the introduction. End your essay with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Moreover, you can seek assistance and guidance from professional writers who can provide valuable help throughout the writing process.

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Observation Essay

To properly observe something, you need to make use of all your five senses. Paying attention to all the details and being level-headed is a must. That said, a lot of effort goes into the act of observing something. The data gathered in your observation, whatever it may be, is necessary. Therefore you should write an observation essay and share your findings with the readers. 

10+ Observation Essay Examples

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What Is an Observation Essay?

An observation essay is a piece of academic essay that incorporates the observer’s perspective over a situation, event, behavior, phenomenon, and even a person. In this document, the writer should state everything he or she directly noticed on the subject. In addition, they can also use first-person narration in this paper.

How to Write a Well-Versed Observation Essay

Whether you are a student writing an essay of your observation for a school assignment or educational research , or maybe a professional conducting a business analysis , you should compose it critically. The findings you present in your observation essay could be necessary to your field or industry. To keep it professional and informative, incorporate appropriate elements and organize it properly. 

1. Follow Guidelines

If there are guidelines provided, ensure to read them beforehand. The list usually includes instructions regarding the format, the length, essential questions, the structure, and the deadline. To avoid forgetting the items to remember, you can secure a checklist beforehand. These details will act as your guide and will set the limits for your essay writing . 

2. Devise an Outline

Considering that you already finished observing, take out your notes, and start constructing your outline. Consider basing its structure on the guidelines. You should decide what information goes on in a particular paragraph and organize it to be comprehensive to the general readers. You can save your energy by researching sample blank outline templates online instead of starting from scratch.

3. Compose Your Thesis Statement

Write your thesis statement in your introduction. After writing your hook and engaging your readers, it is now time to state what the essay will discuss. What did you observe? What are the general idea and nature of your essay? Your thesis statement will act as the central idea of your descriptive writing. Its length must only be one sentence. 

4. Close With a Detailed Conclusion

After presenting the main ideas and supporting your claims, you should provide a conclusion statement that would sum it all up. In the last paragraph, you should restate the thesis statement and explain how all of these ideas are relevant to each other. Your conclusion should link back to the idea in your introduction.

How do you observe something properly?

The practice of observing is necessary for writing field reports of studies, especially in science and psychology. When you do an observation of something, it is advisable to research the subject you are studying. Also, you need to focus on your visual and hearing senses and your thought process. Avoid or get rid of factors that can distract you.

What are the different methods of observing?

The various methods of observing are categorized based on the level of involvement of the observer with the subject. If an observer is not noticed or personally seen by the participants, then he or she is employing the complete observer method. On the other hand, if the subjects recognize and interact with the observer, the implemented method is observer as participant.

How should you note your observations?

The first step in taking field notes of your observation is, write down the necessary details of the subject. Also, you should include the time and place. In writing your findings, you should stay objective and factual. Also, don’t forget to write a description of the setting and the materials involved.

The readers of your observation essay are not present at the time you did your observation. An observation essay is effective if its content is enough to supply information that would make the readers feel as if they are personally present at that time. Secure an observation essay, and earn an award certificate from your school or your work. 

Observation Essay Generator

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Discuss the behavior of animals at a zoo and what it reveals about them in your Observation Essay.

Reflect on the atmosphere of a music concert you attended in your Observation Essay.

Observation Essay: Example and Tips

If you want to leave an unforgettable impression on the reader, when writing an observation essay, you might need experience of experts. Read the article below to learn how to write an observation essay and see examples of all three parts of the essay.

What are the features and qualities, which differ observation essay from other types of essays? Observation essay is close to the narrative one with the mandatory element: the author must tell about his personal experience. In the observation essay, it is not enough to write statistical data and facts borrowed from other sources. Author must reflect his thoughts, events of his life or observations he made. Without that feature, the essay may not be considered an observation essay.

• 1 Example of topics for observation essays
• 2.1 Example of introduction to observation essay. Topic “How I left everything and started traveling”
• 3.1 Example of main part to observation essay
• 4.1 Example of observation essay conclusion
• 5 Final actions when writing observation essay

Example of topics for observation essays

• How I left everything and started traveling (used as example)
• Influence of videogames
• Does the music cure?
• Role of money in modern life
• How to become a leader?
• Success in sports equals success in life
• My reflection of the world around
• Work of a teacher as I see it

Writing introduction to observation essay

There are two possible cases connected with the choice of the topic. If the topic was given by the teacher, you have no need to explain it. But if the topic was open and you made the choice yourself, you need to substantiate why exactly this topic deserves your attention. Such an explanation may be a good introductory part of the observation essay.

Pay attention to the size of structural parts of the essay. Introduction of observation essay should take about 15-20 percent of the entire work. This amount of words must be enough to make the reader want to read your narration and know you better. Using a quote of a famous person may also be used as catchy element of the introduction.

This essay presents my true story about how I decided to leave everything and start traveling. How I argued with my parents and solved problems with the authorities. How an ordinary trip to Asia has become for me a symbol and solid soil, which helped me not change my mind and bring it to the end.

Example of introduction to observation essay. Topic “How I left everything and started traveling”

What to do when you want to quit everything and leave to travel? In the era of social networks, the Internet is full of appeals to quit everything and go to another city, country, to travel. There are many stories about people who left the family and went on a round-the-world trip to find themselves and their path.

In this essay, I do not want to condemn anyone, I do not want to talk about the correctness or wrongness of the decisions of people who abandoned everything. I will not talk about various financial opportunities and social inequality. I just want to tell you my story of escaping from the office.

The story began just like that:

– “When we get home, I’ll quit my job,” I told my friend.

– Come on.

– “I’m serious,” I said, and turned my face to the warm rays of the Thai sun.

Writing main part of observation essay

After laying the foundation of the story telling in the introduction, move on to the main part of observation essay. All the thoughts, events and ideas must be described in this structural unit. It is the biggest part in the amount of words and takes about 65 percent of the total volume of the paper.

In case of short observation essay, main body consists of three paragraphs, where the author presents three separate ideas. All of them should be confirmed. The main rule of writing the body of observation essay is that it should be personal and based on personal experience of the author.

Example of main part to observation essay

It was the year 2004, and we spent a vocation on Koh Samui. We just arrived from Chiang Mai, where I met five travelers who inspired me to a nomadic life. I was under the strongest impression of their way of life. No stuffy offices and gossiping colleagues, no traffic jams and boss, is not it a fairy tale? I wanted to live like that. Moreover, I seriously intended to change my life. I even began to prepare for this serious step while still in Thailand, although I had no idea what to do and where to start.

While we were relaxing at the beaches of Koh Samui, I bought a guidebook from Lonely Planet in Southeast Asia. Then I did not even know where I wanted to go, from where on the map I decided to start my experience as a traveler, not as a tourist. I only knew that everything is cheap and it is warm in Asia. After buying the guidebook, my idea grew out of the rank of empty dreams into something more real. It was then that I suddenly realized that, in fact, I can really change my life. This thing played the role of a point of no return. Now the usual guidebook has become for me a symbol, confirming the firmness of my intentions.

I read every page in this little book when I got home. I marked out the place which I would like to visit, planed the routes, and already mentally gathered for the road. By the time our plane landed at JFK, I knew all about travels in Asia.

Nevertheless, after returning home, I realized that I have no idea how to turn my dream into reality. Thousands of questions swarmed through my head. How much money will I need? When can I afford such a long trip? What will my parents say? Do I need a return ticket? Which card is better to take with you? Is it safe to live in a hostel? The list of questions seemed endless, and in 2004, without numerous airplane ticket searchers, travel blogs, phone applications and other modern travel planning aids, it was somewhat more labor-intensive than it is now.

The hardest thing was to tell my family, friends and acquaintances that I was going on a long-term journey. I do not remember in detail the conversation that I had with my parents, but they took my decision quite coldly. By that time, they had become accustomed to my impulsive ideas, which were not uncommon but rarely turned into reality, and were ready to parry all my arguments fully armed. Their main argument was the statement that the world is a dangerous place and they will be very worried for me.

Since I had time in advance, I had enough time to drip on their brains. Nevertheless, I think that they did not believe in the seriousness of my intentions till the last moment and tried all the time to dissuade me. But once I’ve decided, I’ll bring it to life. I’m so stubborn.

Unlike the story with the parents, I remember the conversation with my boss to the smallest detail. It happened just a couple of months after my return from Thailand. During this time, I became more and more strengthened in the idea of ​​abandoning everything and leaving to travel. I even got some confidence that I really could do it. I knew that I would leave.

On that memorable day, I went to the office of my boss, told him that I wanted to talk to him, sat in a chair opposite and announced my intention to leave work. After meeting and talking with travelers, I firmly decided to see the world before I seriously take up my career. This was my first job, and I worked there for only 8 months. He began to object to me, saying that it was difficult to find a suitable candidate for my post so quickly. To which I replied that I did not want to leave right now, and asked for another six months. I remember his incredulous tone, with which he asked me: “Are you sure?”. I said: “I’m sure” and at the same moment I felt that there was no turning back.

In a sense, that day, I left not only work but also the life that I could live. I betrayed the parent idea about my future, about a good career, family, home, car and all the other things that make up the concept of “successful life”. I almost physically felt my life slipping, and I was not ready for it. I then thought that maybe I made a mistake, perhaps, life is not so bad. But I knew that I was unhappy. In my 24 years, I worked 50 – 60 hours a week, saved up for a car and planned that the next 40 years of my life would be about the same. I never liked this way of life, but it’s the way all normal people live, right?

Writing conclusion part to observation essay

The word Conclusion itself suggests that the author’s aim here is to conclude and sum up everything that has been said in the previous parts of the observation essay. In the final part, ideas are generalized, while in the main part every particular one is described.

The volume of the conclusion in observation essay is about 15-20 percent of the total paper. It should be equal or a little bigger than the introductory part.

Read the example of conclusion of observation essay to get an idea of how it should be written.

Example of observation essay conclusion

My trip to Thailand has shown me that life is not only a corporate meat grinder from 9 to 20. If such a way of life fits most people, then I’m sincerely happy for them. On the day when I announced my boss my intention to leave, I saved myself from a way of life that I never truly loved. And so, when I finally could afford to go out on the big road in search of adventure in 25 years, I still was not ready for it. I twisted in my head the cowardly thought that upon returning home I will immediately return to “normal life”, but this did not happen. After a while, the gap between me and the business world became too great.

Sometimes the decisions that we make in life are transformed for us into a tsunami, which demolishes the whole old way. So, if you are tormented by the question of how to leave everything and start a new life, just make a decision and make at least some real step towards change. Such serious changes never happen quickly at the click of a finger, they mature for a long time in our minds, they require a lot of preparation time. Still, we live in a fairly inert reality. Having made the decision to leave work, I left not only the office, but also my old way of life. But in return I found my own path, one that pleased me and never regretted the decision I made.

Final actions when writing observation essay

The first thing you do when getting the task of writing observation essay, is choosing the topic. After that, you prepare the outline of the future paper and think of the content of each structural part: introduction, main part and conclusion.

When the writing is finished, the work of the author is not done yet. There comes the time for proofreading and editing. Experts recommend taking a several days break and only after that get back to work. Read attentively the observation essay and correct grammar and lexical mistakes. Check the paper for typos and useless meaningless information. Delete everything that does not change the overall picture of the observation essay.

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How to write an observation essay: Detailed Instructions

Over the course of your academic study, you will be given many different assignments, one of which may turn out to be an observational essay. We will tell you how to write an observational paper, and provide you with a few tips on how to make more engaging for the reader.

Answer the "What is an Observation Essay" Question

In reality, it is one of the easiest and the most interesting academic assignments. However, some students may get confused about the requirements for such an essay because they are used to writing analytical papers.

Useful Observation Essay Tips

Before we begin describing the structure, formatting and other aspects of an observation essay, we would like to give you some observation essay tips on how to make this essay stand out from the rest.

#1 Choose the object of observation that fascinates you. You wouldn't want to spend hours or even days observing something, or someone, whom you are not very fond of. If you were assigned the topic for the observation essay, try to focus on the point that may interest you and use it as a cornerstone for your description. For instance, if you were told to write an observation essay about the representative of a particular subculture such as street artists, while you are not fond of them as individuals, try to focus your observations on their artistic works, not their personalities.

#2 Use all your senses to create a more vivid picture of the things that you observe. Don't limit your observations to just looking at things or people. Try to touch these things, smell or even taste them; engage in a prolonged conversation with people whom you are observing, find out more about their personalities and then watch their behavior while having a better understanding of their inner world. It will help you get an entirely different perspective on the object or the subject and make your observation essay much more vivid and engaging.

#3 Try to apply present tence. This way you will allow the readers to perceive the events that you describe in the essay as if they are unfolding right before them, thus improving the engagement and the interest in the depicted event or object.

Observation essay structure: Coherent and well-grounded

Being asked to write such an academic paper many students get slightly confused because they are not really sure about how to structure an observation essay. They think that since it doesn't require the traditional set of academic writing skills, the structuring should also be unconventional. In reality, the structure of an observation essay is not different from the format of any other academic paper. It must have the following parts:

• Introduction

If you don't know how to start an observation essay, well, the answer is quite obvious: start it with the introduction. It is the part where the author has to get the reader acquainted with the object or the event that he or she intends to describe in the essay. This introduction should be succinct but informative, not drawing the reader's focus from the actual observation process.

You must never forget that the observation essay introduction must also include a thesis statement. However, unlike other essays, the thesis statement in an observation essay shouldn't support or deny any arguments or contain any strong statements for that matter. It would be sufficient to say why this observation is important for your field of academic study and what methods you used when conducting it.

Just like in any other academic paper, the observation essay includes from one to five paragraphs. Each of those should be logically connected with each other and form a complete picture of an event or an object that you have been describing. Try to put as much information as possible in each paragraph and make your description vivid and detailed. Don't just limit yourself to describing the overall appearance of the object or the things that happened during the event. Write about what you feel when you make the observations. Look for details which are not apparent for the ordinary viewer.

In your observation essay conclusion, you must rephrase and restate your thesis statement and then describe your overall impression regarding the process of observation and the event or the subject that you have been observing. Again, there is no need to make any strong statements, just tell the reader that you enjoyed making an observation. Basically, that is all you need to know about how to end an observation essay.

Observation essay format styles

In most cases, observation essays are written using MLA as it is the most popular and the most appropriate formatting style for this writing assignment. However, your teacher may ask you to prepare the paper applying APA or Chicago style for your observation essay format. Nevertheless, it shouldn't pose a problem since observation essays don't require plenty of quoting and references.

Observation essay outline: See the structure clearly

Frequently, you will be asked to write an outline for observation essay. In case you don't know how to do it appropriately, we will gladly provide a good example of the observation essay outline.

• Observation of human behavior during protests
• The behavior of people may change radically during different stages of protest
• How I joined the protest event called Occupy Wall Street
• How people behaved at the initial stages of the protest
• How their behavior changed when they confronted the representative of a large trading firm
• How passers-by reacted to the protesters
• The thoughts about the overall experience
• What make people so agitated when they participate in protests

• The Main Observation Essay Peculiarities to Observe
• Writing an Observation Essay Made Easy

Definition & Goals

Paper structure, introduction, body paragraphs, observation paper writing tips.

• Observation Essay Topics

Help with Observation Essay

Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO states that the total youth literacy rate in Egypt is 63. How did the organization come up with this conclusion? The answer to this question is observational statistics .

If you want to learn how to write an observation essay, you should know how to carry out the research. This article will provide you with some good topics for an observation essay, its definition, tips on writing, and a vision of this paper’s structure. As another option you can always ask a professional essay writer for help!

To define, an observation essay is a paper based on remarks and findings of an individual, group of people, or a specific event . The goal is to describe your observations on a particular theme using many details. Remember that it is not a research paper.

Write your observation essay in the   present tense , creating an impression of keeping in touch with the event as if the reader was in the described place or writer’s reality. Sharing feelings and pointing out the notes on the event make the paper more realistic and engaging.

If your instructions do not specify the writing style, choose out of the available formats accepted in any college or university: MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, AMA, Harvard or ASA format essay . The choice depends on the academic level and field of study. Select a style with the most formal structure. The majority of writing formats contain the following elements:

• Title/Cover page
• Indents requirements
• Page numbers
• Bibliography page

As for technical requirements, composing an observation essay, the author needs to write in the   first person . Such an essay’s structure is usually similar to the other essays: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. 

A decent introduction consists of a hook, background information, and a thesis statement. An essay hook is a sentence or two aimed at catching the reader’s attention to persuade them to carry on reading. Use a subtle joke, informative statistics, exciting facts, or a challenging question, and the reader will more likely proceed reading the rest of your essay. 

Make sure to visit our blog on how to write a hook for an essay  to create an irresistible opinion essay introduction.

Provided background information will create a total understanding of what the paper is about. The reader will be able to catch the main idea and the content of such a text. The author should be concise and not reveal too many details in the introduction.

The thesis statement most often is a 2-clauses sentence that highlights the main idea of the text. It raises questions and prepares the reader for its development in body paragraphs. The thesis in an observation essay could be a general impression from a subject of observations.

Traditionally, there’s no absolute measurement of how long your text should be. But generally, such a type of paper consists of 3-5 body paragraphs . However, don’t hesitate to specify the amount with your tutor.

Body paragraphs are given to you for disclosing the topic , i.e., developing the thesis statement, providing the reader with arguments and facts on the pros and cons of certain ideas. Writing an observation essay, you can use more figurative language to make your text more immersive.

Also, an observation essay’s purpose requires the writer to use the first person while writing.

The last part of your essay ‒ which usually is 1 paragraph ‒ is the easiest to perform. In conclusion, you need to analyze how you developed the thesis statement, provide the shortest ever overview of your arguments and ideas, and finish the text in a way that makes the reader think of it. Are you looking for an essay conclusion template ? Read our guide.

Writing an observation essay, you should be more attentive to details: mark how a particular journalist or professional writer plans and structures the recent articles discussing the current events. Daily news events could play a role of an excellent observation essay example to study.

Let’s review some of the tips regarding an observation essay:

• Write an observation essay outline if you are stuck with no idea how to start. Include the details like the number of paragraphs, specify headings, create a thesis statement, highlight main points and issues to cover. It is always a good idea to break down your task into pieces when working on the essay template . 
• Write down three to five good ideas that you will try to defend in your work on a separate paper sheet. Every page must contain the sound, smell, touch, image, and taste of the chosen subject. Keep in mind that you’re not writing a descriptive essay. 
• Present the scene, theme, and mood of the observation essay in your introduction. The scenery will be a good fit as the hook for your reader from the opening lines. 
• Fill the body paragraphs with numerous observational details and evidence to support the main argument. Feel free to use figurative language as you need to immerse a reader into your view on the subject. But be attentive while writing, not to fall into  descriptive essay examples . 
• End your observational writing with a conclusion that leaves a powerful impression on a reader. Reflect on the paper’s thesis statement, list the main arguments and reasons for the further discussion of the subject, and provide some forecasts.
• Use personal experience to meet the paper’s criteria. Working on data & facts shared by other people does not make a legitimate observation essay. 
• In case you use quotations, devote the last page to references . List all the cited works with the rights reserved to make your text free of plagiarism and avoid potential problems with intellectual property. 

Observation Essay Topics 

The list of observation essay topics can be endless – choose the one carefully based on the latest events in the cinematography, literature, music, or entire world. Read through the checklist on how to select a topic for an observation essay:

• Stick to the topic that excites you . Why spend your life on things that make you unhappy when there’s an option to avoid them? Moreover, the final text will be way more attractive for readers if you fill it with your interest in the topic. 
• Do a little research . It is crucial to choose the most appropriate angle of your paper. The research will also help you to narrow your topic down and make it more informative. 
• Write about familiar things . It is easy to make your paper inappropriate if you try to present a new topic while writing.
• Observe the recent news in different human activity fields to create a list of great topics on a separate page.
• Attend an event to get inspired . Include such details as who attended the event, why people organized that event, the meeting’s goals and place, and how it enriched your personal/professional experience.

If you still encounter difficulties with the choice, take a look at the shortlist of good observation essay topics to pick the best writing idea:

• Why do I find punctuality important?
• The movie I never get tired to re-watch
• Do I value honor more than material goods?
• Three simple ways to get rid of the depression
• Music is the best therapy in many life situations
• What sort of gift I believe is the best for my mom?
• The way we behave is the mirror of our personality
• The role of freedom in the life of the average American citizen

Congratulations on completing reading an ultimate guide on how to write an observation essay. In case you feel you lack writing experience or have some questions regarding your writing assignment be it an observation essay, a synthesis paper or an exploratory essay , feel free to get help from the professionals without leaving your home! Keep in mind that our writing services are at your disposal round the clock. Contact us, place your order, get a perfect paper, and make the best impression on your teacher and classmates!

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Winning Tips and Topics on Writing an Observation Essay

In order for you to come up with an interesting observational essay, you should consider being a good listener and observer of situations. These two factors are essential in acquiring new information that could be a plus to your personal experience . Three concepts that each student should have in their memories to come up with a captivating observation essay are observation, interpretation, and tangible facts. The difference between a word wizard and a good observational essay writer lies on a student’s ability to come up with an excellent observation essay. All our body senses, sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing are crucial towards the crafting of an observational essay. If you intended to impress your readers enough to make them come back for more, then purchasing personalized academic papers from reliable top academy writing websites in the United States might just do the trick.

The outline Template for an Observational Essay

The guidelines below will help you understand the outline of writing an observational essay to enable you to come up with a structure that will give your essay a logical flow of ideas.

Personal Experience

This aspect is the best way to describe the particulars of a situation since you have personally gone through the situation and you understand all angles about it. The connection created by your personal experience and the subject matter under discussion should be on a high level of order, as a way of ensuring you can share the experience with other on a deeper and understanding level. For this reason, you should ensure that you choose the topic of discussion carefully.

For instance: having chosen a topic on how exhilarating biking while hiking is, make sure you describe related factual and statistical data about how it brings out the excitement in you.  However, if you have never experienced hiking while riding a bike, it will be difficult to share such an experience with your audience. Supporting your claim should always be based on personal experience about the subject of discussion. It’s even advisable to try such an experience, before writing the related observational topic. This way, you will gain more tangible information to share with your audience.

It is important to know that note taking is a crucial part of sharing experiences; thus you should come up with reliable ways of writing down your experiences and recording them appropriately. From what has been recorded, you can begin doing a draft of your essay. Capture the whole process of your personal experience. For example, if it’s related to going to a stadium, mention going through security, locating your sitting position, watching the game and what emotions were provoked, and the feeling you felt when you were surrounded by a mob of angry fans whose team took a loss. Don’t forget to note down the impressions and use criteria to rate aspects lie the general atmosphere, utilities at the stadium, the security box among other elements of your story.

If you experience a modification in your personal intake for events that transpired, jot down notes about the change, and the time it happened. All your events should be arranged in chronological order to help you restructure your chain of events as you embark on writing your essay. Ask for a friend’s opinion about their personal experience of going to the stadium and not them down. This will help you have an informed view of events thus come up with a first-class observational topic.

Create an outline

A sketch of your work is important in ensuring that it is well-structured and there is a logical flow of ideas. It is useful to use just in case you face a challenge while restructuring your essay. The final draft can be changed, but bear in mind that you must adhere to the set outline. In case your teacher wants to see an outline, create a separate page that you can outline it for review. After this, if you are challenged with any other aspect, or you do not understand how to formulate an observational essay, do not hesitate to consult the various online professional services for assistance.

Introduction

In this section, you are required to provide a brief, but credible information about what the reader is about to read all through the article. Make sure you begin with a thesis statement which will address the points and arguments that you plan to address. After this, craft a catchy hook sentence that will grab the attention of your readers. It is also advisable to provide them with reasons as to why you chose that specific topic. After addressing the above aspects, your introduction part is now well composed and captivating to keep your readers glued to your observational essay/

The three body paragraphs

At this point, the expressed points of argument in your thesis statement are each handled in its paragraph, with the addition of supporting evidence to give meaning and sense to your argument. Make sure that each paragraph or idea is presented as per the outline you created to give your observation essay more logic and concrete structure.

This section requires simplicity and a summative narrative about the topic of discussion. I stead of just doing a summary of your arguments, restate your thesis statement and appeal to it, as you use a call to action element to give the final input to finish up your paper with a strong impression to the reader. This will allow the reader to reason about your points of view and make a choice if they support still stand by their perspective. Through this, you have engaged your writers effectively and created a strong impression. The use of a rhetorical question will sum up the essay in exclusive style and ensure the audience is fully engaged.

The final page should include a complete bibliography that included all the sources and references used.

Editing and Proofreading

After concluding the writing part of your essay, you should consider going through your work to remove any punctuation or grammatical that might appear. It will be more effective if someone else did it for you or submit it to a professional proofreading service that man college students use to ensure their work is ready for submission.

The three aspects to consider in this section are:

• Grammatical errors
• Punctuation and spelling errors
• The distinctiveness of your observational essay

Examples of Observational Essay Topics

Organization and rich vocabulary skills are the two most important skills that you need to have in order to write a first-class observational essay. Bear in mind that your ultimate goal is to share your personal experience with your target audience. The following are useful examples of observational essay you can use:

• The dynamics of tattoo and body piercing
• Is tolerance an important trait to possess?
• Are video games capable of causing death?
• How important independence and freedom are
• Gaining knowledge and its impact on our lives
• Money and its meaning to an evolved world
• Sports and its contribution to developing leadership
• A chat with your favorite celebrity
• The thrills of biking while hiking
• Age-appropriate movies
• The most epic club in the city
• The flawless gift for a wedding or birthday
• How to define loyalty
• Can music provide a soothing healing effect?
• Success and achievement through professional writing
• Endurance and its effect on our daily lives
• Describing character traits of my favorite idol

Winning Tips to Use in Writing an Observation Essay

• Laying down your work with a personal touch is important. Remember that your main goal is to share your personal experience and let the readers add it to theirs.
• Have a notebook and pen around you! This will ensure that you can jot down events as they happen to have a full view outlook of the experience.
• Don’t use an unnecessary word to make your essay longer. Be brief, precise and straight to the point while addressing the outline content of your work. By reducing the use of introductory and transitional words, you gain to display a clear topic and thesis statement.
• While writing your observation essay, utilize your personal experience by using instances you personally went through in your life. This helps the readers identify themselves with your experiences and understand you better.
• There exist an association between a descriptive narrative and an observation essay, thus use human senses freely when need be. Provoke a reaction from the reader of one, if not several of their five senses.
• Always stick to being objective.
• Remember to include a bibliography page at the end.

A point to remember: an emphasis on the importance of your topic is crucial and should utilize your personal experience. If you face by any challenge, or need proofreading and editing for your work, choose our academic writing help .

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• What Is an Observational Study? | Guide & Examples

What Is an Observational Study? | Guide & Examples

Published on March 31, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on June 22, 2023.

An observational study is used to answer a research question based purely on what the researcher observes. There is no interference or manipulation of the research subjects, and no control and treatment groups .

These studies are often qualitative in nature and can be used for both exploratory and explanatory research purposes. While quantitative observational studies exist, they are less common.

Observational studies are generally used in hard science, medical, and social science fields. This is often due to ethical or practical concerns that prevent the researcher from conducting a traditional experiment . However, the lack of control and treatment groups means that forming inferences is difficult, and there is a risk of confounding variables and observer bias impacting your analysis.

Table of contents

Types of observation, types of observational studies, observational study example, advantages and disadvantages of observational studies, observational study vs. experiment, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

There are many types of observation, and it can be challenging to tell the difference between them. Here are some of the most common types to help you choose the best one for your observational study.

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There are three main types of observational studies: cohort studies, case–control studies, and cross-sectional studies .

Cohort studies

Cohort studies are more longitudinal in nature, as they follow a group of participants over a period of time. Members of the cohort are selected because of a shared characteristic, such as smoking, and they are often observed over a period of years.

Case–control studies

Case–control studies bring together two groups, a case study group and a control group . The case study group has a particular attribute while the control group does not. The two groups are then compared, to see if the case group exhibits a particular characteristic more than the control group.

For example, if you compared smokers (the case study group) with non-smokers (the control group), you could observe whether the smokers had more instances of lung disease than the non-smokers.

Cross-sectional studies

Cross-sectional studies analyze a population of study at a specific point in time.

This often involves narrowing previously collected data to one point in time to test the prevalence of a theory—for example, analyzing how many people were diagnosed with lung disease in March of a given year. It can also be a one-time observation, such as spending one day in the lung disease wing of a hospital.

Observational studies are usually quite straightforward to design and conduct. Sometimes all you need is a notebook and pen! As you design your study, you can follow these steps.

Step 1: Identify your research topic and objectives

The first step is to determine what you’re interested in observing and why. Observational studies are a great fit if you are unable to do an experiment for practical or ethical reasons , or if your research topic hinges on natural behaviors.

Step 2: Choose your observation type and technique

In terms of technique, there are a few things to consider:

• Are you determining what you want to observe beforehand, or going in open-minded?
• Is there another research method that would make sense in tandem with an observational study?
• If yes, make sure you conduct a covert observation.
• If not, think about whether observing from afar or actively participating in your observation is a better fit.
• How can you preempt confounding variables that could impact your analysis?
• You could observe the children playing at the playground in a naturalistic observation.
• You could spend a month at a day care in your town conducting participant observation, immersing yourself in the day-to-day life of the children.
• You could conduct covert observation behind a wall or glass, where the children can’t see you.

Overall, it is crucial to stay organized. Devise a shorthand for your notes, or perhaps design templates that you can fill in. Since these observations occur in real time, you won’t get a second chance with the same data.

Step 3: Set up your observational study

Before conducting your observations, there are a few things to attend to:

• Plan ahead: If you’re interested in day cares, you’ll need to call a few in your area to plan a visit. They may not all allow observation, or consent from parents may be needed, so give yourself enough time to set everything up.
• Determine your note-taking method: Observational studies often rely on note-taking because other methods, like video or audio recording, run the risk of changing participant behavior.
• Get informed consent from your participants (or their parents) if you want to record:  Ultimately, even though it may make your analysis easier, the challenges posed by recording participants often make pen-and-paper a better choice.

Step 4: Conduct your observation

After you’ve chosen a type of observation, decided on your technique, and chosen a time and place, it’s time to conduct your observation.

Here, you can split them into case and control groups. The children with siblings have a characteristic you are interested in (siblings), while the children in the control group do not.

When conducting observational studies, be very careful of confounding or “lurking” variables. In the example above, you observed children as they were dropped off, gauging whether or not they were upset. However, there are a variety of other factors that could be at play here (e.g., illness).

Step 5: Analyze your data

After you finish your observation, immediately record your initial thoughts and impressions, as well as follow-up questions or any issues you perceived during the observation. If you audio- or video-recorded your observations, you can transcribe them.

Your analysis can take an inductive  or deductive approach :

• If you conducted your observations in a more open-ended way, an inductive approach allows your data to determine your themes.
• If you had specific hypotheses prior to conducting your observations, a deductive approach analyzes whether your data confirm those themes or ideas you had previously.

Next, you can conduct your thematic or content analysis . Due to the open-ended nature of observational studies, the best fit is likely thematic analysis .

Step 6: Discuss avenues for future research

Observational studies are generally exploratory in nature, and they often aren’t strong enough to yield standalone conclusions due to their very high susceptibility to observer bias and confounding variables. For this reason, observational studies can only show association, not causation .

If you are excited about the preliminary conclusions you’ve drawn and wish to proceed with your topic, you may need to change to a different research method , such as an experiment.

• Observational studies can provide information about difficult-to-analyze topics in a low-cost, efficient manner.
• They allow you to study subjects that cannot be randomized safely, efficiently, or ethically .
• They are often quite straightforward to conduct, since you just observe participant behavior as it happens or utilize preexisting data.
• They’re often invaluable in informing later, larger-scale clinical trials or experimental designs.

Disadvantages

• Observational studies struggle to stand on their own as a reliable research method. There is a high risk of observer bias and undetected confounding variables or omitted variables .
• They lack conclusive results, typically are not externally valid or generalizable, and can usually only form a basis for further research.
• They cannot make statements about the safety or efficacy of the intervention or treatment they study, only observe reactions to it. Therefore, they offer less satisfying results than other methods.

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The key difference between observational studies and experiments is that a properly conducted observational study will never attempt to influence responses, while experimental designs by definition have some sort of treatment condition applied to a portion of participants.

However, there may be times when it’s impossible, dangerous, or impractical to influence the behavior of your participants. This can be the case in medical studies, where it is unethical or cruel to withhold potentially life-saving intervention, or in longitudinal analyses where you don’t have the ability to follow your group over the course of their lifetime.

An observational study may be the right fit for your research if random assignment of participants to control and treatment groups is impossible or highly difficult. However, the issues observational studies raise in terms of validity , confounding variables, and conclusiveness can mean that an experiment is more reliable.

If you’re able to randomize your participants safely and your research question is definitely causal in nature, consider using an experiment.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Student’s  t -distribution
• Normal distribution
• Null and Alternative Hypotheses
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Data cleansing
• Reproducibility vs Replicability
• Peer review
• Prospective cohort study

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Placebo effect
• Hawthorne effect
• Hindsight bias
• Affect heuristic
• Social desirability bias

An observational study is a great choice for you if your research question is based purely on observations. If there are ethical, logistical, or practical concerns that prevent you from conducting a traditional experiment , an observational study may be a good choice. In an observational study, there is no interference or manipulation of the research subjects, as well as no control or treatment groups .

The key difference between observational studies and experimental designs is that a well-done observational study does not influence the responses of participants, while experiments do have some sort of treatment condition applied to at least some participants by random assignment .

A quasi-experiment is a type of research design that attempts to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The main difference with a true experiment is that the groups are not randomly assigned.

Exploratory research aims to explore the main aspects of an under-researched problem, while explanatory research aims to explain the causes and consequences of a well-defined problem.

Experimental design means planning a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables . To design a controlled experiment, you need:

• A testable hypothesis
• At least one independent variable that can be precisely manipulated
• At least one dependent variable that can be precisely measured

When designing the experiment, you decide:

• How you will manipulate the variable(s)
• How you will control for any potential confounding variables
• How many subjects or samples will be included in the study
• How subjects will be assigned to treatment levels

Experimental design is essential to the internal and external validity of your experiment.

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Observation Essay Writing Tips & Topics

Just as the above quote emphasizes, listening and observing are two key factors for gaining new information and add to your personal experience. This can be easily applied to writing observation essays, for example. Observation, inference and fact are the three concepts every student that wants to write a good observation essay has to memorize. The ability to write a good observation essay makes the difference between a writer and a true wizard of words. And in order to achieve such a state you need to make use of all the senses available to you:

If the goal of your essay is to leave an unforgettable mark on the memory of the reader, you can easily achieve that through buying personalized academic papers from a top writing company in the United States.

Outlining Example of an Observation Essay

Continue reading the below guidelines in order to have an example of an outline for any observation essay.

Personal Experience

There’s nothing better to help you describe a situation than going through such an experience yourself. The connection between your personal experience and the subject of your observation essay has to be at a high level in order to be able to share that certain experience with others. That’s why you first need to choose carefully the topic of the essay you’re going to cover.

For Example : when you decide to write an essay on how thrilling downhill biking is, mentioning a handful of statistics and details about how it gets your adrenaline pumping. If you never got on a bike and ride your way down a forest road, you won’t be able to share that experience with others. If you want to support your claim, you must always write from experience. Go to the stadium before writing a piece on a local football team or listen to the entire album before reviewing it.

Taking notes is a vital part of sharing experience, that’s why you will always need to have a good method of writing things down or record them. From the recorded info, you can start writing the first draft of the essay. Make sure to capture the whole process: from going through the security checks, finding your seat, how did the game make you feel, all the way to how it felt being surrounded by all those angry fans that their team just lost. Make sure to also include all your impressions here and also pick some criteria to rate: atmosphere, utilities at the stadium, security lever, etc.

Every time your personal intake of things suffers a modification, make notes about what the change was and when did it happen. Keeping a chronological order of events will help you to reconstruct the journey in the essay. In order to have a complete view on things, take some notes of a friend’s opinion that went with you or ask a supporter sitting next to you about his experience.

Create a Sketch

An outline or sketch is very important to keep your paper logical and structured This is very useful in case you ever get stuck or lost while reconstructing the essay. You may change your final draft, but you must stick to the prepared outline. If your teacher requires, make a separate page with a detailed outline. In case you encounter any kind of issues when writing the outline or any other part of your essay, never hesitate to access professional writing services .

Introduction

Here’s where you should give your audience the opportunity to catch a glimpse of what they’re about to read in the rest of the article. Start with a thesis statement that will serve as the essay’s fundament. Then create a catch sentence to get the attention of your readers. You can also give them some insight into the reason you chose that specific observation topic.

Three-Paragraph Body

The body of the observation essay has the same structure as any other assignment. The most used structure and what experts recommend is having a three-paragraph body with support arguments. The next step is arranging your notes according to the previously-prepared outline on which you will add the details Keep in mind:

“Details create the big picture." Sanford I. Weil

You need to keep this section as simple and straight-forward as possible.Instead, to a summary of your arguments, appeal again to your thesis sentence and then use a call-to-action to finish the paper in such a manner that it will leave a strong impression. A rhetorical action is perfect at the end of your paper. You might think you’re done but you still have one more page to write. This final page of your observation essay must be a complete bibliography where you write down all your sources and references.

Editing and Proofreading

Finishing the actual paper doesn’t mean you’re done with everything. Before submitting your paper, you need to do some proofreading. Naturally, this can’t be done by you as the subjectivism can affect the results. Instead, you should ask someone else to do that for you. Or you can just place an order with an online writing and proofreading service , that assists college students all-round the English-speaking world!

They will be able to assist you with very important aspects regarding your observation essay like:

• Grammar mistakes
• Punctuation and Spelling

15 Examples of Observation Essay Topics

In order to write a high-quality observation essay, students need to possess other two skills. Organization skills and a rich vocabulary are the skills needed. Remember, your goal is not to deliver a message but share your experience with the audience. with your audience. That’s why it is very important to carefully choose your topic. If you need some inspiration, check out some free, useful examples of observation essays.

You can use this list of 16 topics as a starting idea for your essay:

• Important aspects of tattoo and body piercing
• How is important tolerance?
• Can death result from video games?
• The importance of independence and freedom
• The Modern World and the meaning of money
• Leadership developed through sports
• Meeting my favourite Rockstar
• The thrills of downhill biking
• Books appropriate for any age
• New club in the city
• Buying the perfect wedding or birthday gift
• The definition of “loyalty”
• Healing through music, myth or fact?
• Achieving success through writing
• The personality traits of personal idols
• College is too expensive essay

Some Useful Tips for Observation Essay Writing

• Don’t forget the personal touch. Allowing the audience to add your experience to theirs and identifying with it is your main goal.
• Always have something to take notes on. The importance of putting the events on paper as fresh as possible is of extreme importance.
• Avoid using a lot of unnecessary words just to make your essay longer. If you manage to reduce the amount of transitional & introductory words in your essay, you will get a lot more clear topic and thesis statement.
• Always appeal to personal experience by using the situations you faced during your entire life. It helps the readers to identify themselves with you or, at least, to know you better.
• The descriptive narrative and the observation essay have a lot in common so feel free to use the human senses. Try to provoke a reaction that appeals to one of these five during your essay.
• Remain objective at all times.
• Don’t forget about the Bibliography at the end.
• You should know what does proofreading mean .

Keep in mind: you can always emphasize the importance of the selected topic by sharing personal lessons learned. If at any time, you need any help with the essay itself or with proofreading and editing it, you can always order online academic guidance from a trustworthy company.

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How to write an observation essay answer’s here.

February 20, 2020

Struggling to write your first ever observation essay? If this is the case, you definitely need our help! In this blog post, we will explain what this academic paper is, how to get a good example, and how to write the essay quickly using an easy-to-understand structure. It doesn’t matter if you are tasked by your professor with writing a courtroom observation essay or a child development observation essay.

Just follow our advice and you’ll do a wonderful job. Of course, it goes without saying that you need to do the research yourself, even if it’s just a classroom observation essay you have to write.

What Is an Observation Essay?

Let’s start with the beginning. What is an observation essay? The simple answer is that it is just a piece of direct investigation. You need to observe something (an event, a person, a situation, a concept, or even an area) and then describe it as meticulously as possible. However, things tend to get a bit complicated when it comes to actually writing the paper. Why?

Because even when writing a seemingly simple child observation essay, you need to describe everything as vividly as possible. You need to provide a sensory experience to the reader, which is by no means an easy thing to do. Your observational skills and attention will be put to the test, and so will your observation essay writing skills.

Need an Observation Essay Example?

You probably don’t know much about observational writing. And this is precisely why you need the best observation essay example you can find. Don’t be afraid to contact an academic writing company for one. Even if you’ll have to pay a couple of dollars for a top quality example, this is money well spent. Here is why observation essay examples really matter:

• You will see exactly how a professional writer describes every small detail. Providing a detailed sensory experience to your readers can be difficult without a good example.
• You get to see how such an academic paper is structured. Yes, you can use the same structure for anything, including a preschool observation essay.
• You can quickly understand what you need to pay attention to. You will also probably learn that using first-person singular pronouns is frowned upon in academic writing.
• You will learn how to paint a picture with your words. You’ll learn how to engage all of your audience’s senses by describing smells, colors, sounds, shapes, and even images.

Examples of Nice Observation Essay Topics

Reading even one excellently written children observation essay can greatly improve your odds of getting an A+ or at least an A. However, keep in mind that the observation essay topics you choose also have a great impact. The topic and the thesis statement are usually the first thing your professor sees. Capture his or her attention from the first second and you’ll most definitely get some bonus points. To help you out as much as possible, here are some topics that we consider excellent for 2020:

• Here is why I admire my math teacher the most. (this is a great observation essay on a person)
• Why do children hate school so much?
• What does money mean to us?
• I just found a new restaurant in the city.
• Treating arthritis with geriatric physical therapy. (a fine choice for a physical therapy observation essay)
• Do video games really change our behavior?
• Let’s talk about the recent baseball game.
• How does bullying affect its victims?
• Are animals at the Zoo sad? (excellent choice for a naturalistic observation essay)

How to Write an Observation Essay in 5 Paragraphs?

Of course, you can write about anything you like – if your professor has not assigned you a specific topic. But how do you write an early childhood observation essay the right way? Learning how to start an observation essay can make the difference between working on the paper for 4 days and finishing it in just 2. Here is how you write an observation essay in just 5 paragraphs:

• The introduction. You need to introduce the topic and provide a bit of background information about it. Also, don’t forget to include the thesis statement in the first or second phrase. Alternatively, open your intro with a peculiar fact or an anecdote and include the thesis statement afterwards.
• Three body paragraphs. Remember, all your observations should be vividly described in just 3 paragraphs. Yes, even if you’re writing a preschool child observation essay. Each paragraph should cover one main supporting argument. Focus the entire paragraph on just one important observation and describe it to your readers as best as possible.
• The conclusion. You don’t need a lengthy final paragraph. The body paragraphs already described the subject in great detail. The background information has been included in the introduction. The conclusion should restate your thesis statement, followed by a summary of the three important points you’ve discussed in the body of the paper. Wrap everything up with a call to action and the essay is done!

Well, not exactly done; you still need to edit your work and proofread it thoroughly. Why risk getting a lower grade just because of a couple of typos? Make sure your infant toddler observation essay is written perfectly and you will get a very good grade for your hard work.

Pro Tip: Use an Observation Essay Outline

Now you know why an example is good for you and you also know how to write an observation essay quickly. To wrap everything up, we want to tell you about the one thing that will help you immensely. When it comes to writing an observation essay, there is nothing better than a good essay outline. Really, an outline will prove invaluable regardless of the topic you are writing about (including a daycare observation essay).

But how do you create an exceptional observation essay outline? To write the essay, you will need to carefully observe the subject. You will, of course, take extensive notes during the observation period. To create the observation essay outline, you just need to organize your notes and find the most important aspects you wish to talk about. Keep in mind that an outline is quite similar to a table of contents. It’s the skeleton upon which you build your observation essay. It goes without saying that writing such a complex paper without a good outline won’t end well for the student who attempts it.

Read a good example, find an intriguing topic, start your writing with an outline, and make effective us of the five paragraph essay. That’s all you need to write an observation essay worthy of an A+.

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All About Teacher Observations: How to Get Them Right

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More than a decade after being recognized as the Arkansas 2007 teacher of the year, Justin Minkel still found himself flustered when his principal slipped into the back row of class. “When my principal walks in with her laptop or a clipboard and pen, I’m instantly afflicted by a crippling self-doubt I haven’t felt since junior high,” the teacher wrote in a 2018 Opinion essay. “I scan the room with the alert panic a gazelle must feel when scanning the savannah for predators.”

Five years later, his jitters over observations— and his four tips for “surviving” them —continue to hit home for classroom teachers.

Earlier this school year, when the essay was reshared on Facebook, teachers flocked to the comments to affirm that teacher observations remain a perennial concern. In a lively conversation of 280 comments , readers volunteered their own success stories of the observation process working well and commiserated over their shared frustrations.

“I personally don’t mind them,” wrote Facebook commenter Lacey Peters, “because I am a self criticizer and usually the admin is saying much more positive things about my teaching even when I think the lesson went horribly!”

“I don’t have feelings of self-doubt,” another commenter, Rebecca Salomonsson, wrote, “I have feelings of resentment that someone is in my room actively taking notes on me. What other profession does this to its professionals? My husband is an engineer. He is trusted to do his job.”

In many commenters’ impressions of being observed, the deciding variable seemed to be how much they trusted the administrators observing them. How to build a bridge of support rather than judgment between teacher and principal has long been a source of inquiry for educators writing in Edweek’s Opinion pages.

In her 2022 essay “ The Most Important Thing Principals Can Do in a Teacher Observation ,” English teacher Kelly Scott charts the lasting impact of a single moment of encouragement in her first year of teaching. That memorable observation started with just one word: “ Wow!”

“He knew that what I really needed—more than professional development, more than goal setting and professional standards—was someone to cheer me on,” she recalled of her administrator’s enthusiastic feedback during that vulnerable first observation.

Leading with enthusiasm isn’t the only advice teachers have to offer the observers coming into their classrooms. Two years ago, when teacher blogger Larry Ferlazzo asked his peers for best practices when administrators (or other teachers) observe their lessons, 19 contributors shared their own ideas. His four-part series on the topic rounded up a slew of their actionable guidance and emotional reflections:

• 18 Ways to Improve Teacher Observations
• How to Make Teacher Observations (Almost) Stress-Free
• Throw Out the Protocol for Teacher Observations. Use Common Sense Instead
• How to Create a Positive Atmosphere for Teacher Observations

It’s not just teachers with a stake in the observation process; administrators have had their say as well.

Last year, Atlanta Assistant Principal NaTasha Woodey-Wideman explained that not every professional learning effort has the same goal—but they all reflect a leader’s instructional values.

In “ How You Deliver Professional Learning Says a Lot About You ,” she urged principals to be intentional about the goals of a specific professional learning effort and then use teacher observations in service of those goals: “If the focus of a session is to provide teachers with tools for formative assessment, the lens of subsequent teacher observations should be formative assessment. After a session on building a strong classroom culture, walk-throughs should focus on culture.”

Soon after, Woodley-Wideman joined principal-turned-leadership-coach Opinion blogger Peter DeWitt for a live online discussion to consider how educator professional learning can move beyond the “sit and get” model.

In the discussion, her guidance began with a reminder that professional learning efforts should put an emphasis on the learning : “We tend to forget that teachers are also learners.”

She concluded her advice by flipping that formulation for school leaders. “Never forget you are a teacher,” she reminded building leaders. “Your classroom is that entire building.” (You can watch the full discussion on-demand for free here .)

Nearly a decade before their conversation, DeWitt was already beating the drum for principal introspection, asking readers: “ Leaders: Are Your Teacher Observations Active or Passive? ”

He cautioned against a box-checking approach to teacher observations, noting, “It is often seen as a process to get done ... instead of a process to get done right.” Principals need to structure the process less like distant evaluators and more like instructional coaches, DeWitt proposed.

That’s a call to action that has been echoed by other educators since, including in David Edelman’s “ Teacher Evaluation That Goes Beyond Check Boxes .” The most helpful post-observation feedback from his years in the classroom, he wrote in the 2016 Opinion essay, came from an informal collaboration with a fellow teacher who engaged deeply with his instructional practice rather than merely handing out a rating.

In the not-so-distant future, some of those moments of professional coaching may not just come from fellow teachers—or even fellow humans. Drawing on their work designing a natural-language-processing tool to provide teachers immediate feedback after a lesson, researchers Jing Liu, Dora Demszky, and Heather C. Hill invited readers to “imagine a world where we could harness the power of AI to provide teachers with automated, valuable feedback.”

That world shouldn’t come at the expense of interpersonal relationships in schools but rather work in service of building even stronger ones, they argued in “ AI Can Make Education More Personal (Yes, Really) ” this past summer.

Whether tech-assisted or otherwise, one thing remains true: There’s no ignoring the emotional vulnerability of the teachers being observed.

After all, to return to Justin Minkel’s appraisal of the observation process, the stakes can feel high. “It’s not just our professional competence that’s wrapped up in an observation,” he reminded readers, “but a sense of our worth as human beings.”

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Tips for writing an observation paper: a guide for nursing students, carla johnson.

• October 5, 2023
• How to Guides

Observation papers are a crucial component of a nursing student’s academic journey. These papers allow you to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, effective communication , and reflective practice. While they may seem daunting at first, with the right approach and guidance, you can excel in crafting observation papers that meet academic standards and contribute to your growth as a future healthcare professional. In this comprehensive guide, we will take you through the step-by-step process and tips for writing an observation paper, tailored specifically for nursing students.

What You'll Learn

Understanding the Purpose and Importance

1.1 defining the observation paper.

Before diving into the writing process, it’s vital to understand what an observation paper is. An observation paper is a structured report that describes and analyzes a specific event, situation, or experience. In the context of nursing, these papers often focus on clinical observations , patient interactions, or healthcare settings.

1.2 The Significance of Observation Papers

Observation papers serve several purposes in your nursing education:

• Enhancing Clinical Skills: They help you develop and refine your clinical observation skills, vital for identifying patient needs and providing quality care.
• Reflective Practice: Writing an observation paper encourages self-reflection, enabling you to learn from your experiences and improve your practice.
• Critical Thinking: These papers challenge you to think critically, analyze situations, and make informed decisions , which are essential skills in nursing.
• Effective Communication: You learn to articulate your observations clearly and concisely, a crucial skill in conveying information to colleagues and supervisors.

Selecting the Observation Topic

2.1 choose a relevant topic.

Start by selecting a topic that is relevant to your nursing education and interests. Consider areas where you need improvement or topics that pique your curiosity. Whether it’s a patient encounter, a clinical procedure, or a healthcare policy , your topic should be meaningful to you.

2.2 Narrow Your Focus

Ensure your chosen topic is specific enough to allow for in-depth analysis. For example, if you decide to write about a patient interaction, narrow it down to a particular aspect of the encounter, like communication or assessment techniques.

Pre-Observation Preparation

3.1 review relevant literature.

Before conducting your observation, research existing literature and studies related to your topic. This background knowledge will help you contextualize your observations and provide a foundation for your analysis.

3.2 Set Clear Objectives

Define clear objectives for your observation. What specific aspects will you be focusing on? What do you hope to learn or discover during the observation? Having clear goals will guide your observation process.

3.3 Obtain Necessary Permissions

If your observation involves patient care, ensure you have the required permissions and comply with ethical guidelines . Respect patient confidentiality and privacy at all times.

Conducting the Observation

4.1 detailed notes and documentation.

During the observation, take meticulous notes. Record your observations, thoughts, and any significant details. Be objective and accurate in your descriptions. Include timestamps for chronological accuracy.

4.2 Utilize Reflective Practice

While observing, practice reflection. Consider how your personal biases, emotions, and preconceptions may influence your observations. Reflect on your thoughts and feelings throughout the process.

Structuring Your Observation Paper

5.1 introduction.

• Provide a brief introduction to your topic and its significance.
• State the purpose of your observation and your objectives.

5.2 Methodology

• Describe the methodology you used during your observation, including any ethical considerations.
• Explain your data collection process and any tools or instruments used.

5.3 Observations

• Present your observations in a clear, organized manner.
• Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of the situation or event.
• Include both objective observations (what you saw, heard, etc.) and subjective reflections (your thoughts and feelings).

5.4 Analysis

• Interpret your observations. What do they reveal about the topic you chose?
• Analyze the significance of your findings in the context of nursing practice .
• Use evidence from literature to support your analysis.

5.5 Discussion

• Discuss the implications of your observations for nursing practice and patient care.
• Address any limitations or biases in your observation process.
• Explore areas for further research or improvement.

5.6 Conclusion

• Summarize the key points from your observation and analysis.
• Reiterate the importance of your findings in the nursing context.

Refining Your Observation Paper

6.1 edit and proofread.

After completing your initial draft, thoroughly edit and proofread your paper. Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. Ensure that your writing is clear and concise.

6.2 Seek Feedback

Share your paper with peers or instructors for feedback. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

6.3 Revise and Finalize

Incorporate the feedback you receive and make necessary revisions. Pay attention to the overall flow and coherence of your paper. Ensure that it meets the formatting and citation requirements of your institution.

Mastering the art of writing an observation paper is a valuable skill for nursing students. It contributes to your academic growth and enhances your clinical and critical thinking abilities. Remember that practice and continuous improvement are key to success in observation paper writing.

As you embark on your journey as a nursing student, it’s important to seek guidance and support when needed. If you find yourself struggling with writing observation papers or any other academic assignments, don’t hesitate to seek assistance. Our writing services are here to provide you with expert guidance and support to help you excel in your studies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How do you write an observation? A: To write an observation, start by selecting a specific topic, conduct a thorough observation, take detailed notes, analyze your findings, and structure your paper with an introduction, methodology, observations, analysis, discussion, and conclusion.

Q2: What is the format of an observation essay? A: An observation essay typically follows a structured format with sections like introduction, methodology , observations, analysis, discussion, and conclusion, maintaining clear, concise, and organized writing throughout.

Q3: How do you start an observation report? A: Begin an observation report by introducing your chosen topic and its significance, stating the purpose and objectives of your observation, and providing a brief overview of your methodology.

Q4: What is an example of an observation? A: An example of an observation could be observing a nurse-patient interaction in a hospital setting, noting the communication techniques used and the impact on patient care.

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All About Teacher Observations: How to Get Them Right

• Share article

More than a decade after being recognized as the Arkansas 2007 teacher of the year, Justin Minkel still found himself flustered when his principal slipped into the back row of class. “When my principal walks in with her laptop or a clipboard and pen, I’m instantly afflicted by a crippling self-doubt I haven’t felt since junior high,” the teacher wrote in a 2018 Opinion essay. “I scan the room with the alert panic a gazelle must feel when scanning the savannah for predators.”

Five years later, his jitters over observations— and his four tips for “surviving” them —continue to hit home for classroom teachers.

Earlier this school year, when the essay was reshared on Facebook, teachers flocked to the comments to affirm that teacher observations remain a perennial concern. In a lively conversation of 280 comments , readers volunteered their own success stories of the observation process working well and commiserated over their shared frustrations.

“I personally don’t mind them,” wrote Facebook commenter Lacey Peters, “because I am a self criticizer and usually the admin is saying much more positive things about my teaching even when I think the lesson went horribly!”

“I don’t have feelings of self-doubt,” another commenter, Rebecca Salomonsson, wrote, “I have feelings of resentment that someone is in my room actively taking notes on me. What other profession does this to its professionals? My husband is an engineer. He is trusted to do his job.”

In many commenters’ impressions of being observed, the deciding variable seemed to be how much they trusted the administrators observing them. How to build a bridge of support rather than judgment between teacher and principal has long been a source of inquiry for educators writing in Edweek’s Opinion pages.

In her 2022 essay “ The Most Important Thing Principals Can Do in a Teacher Observation ,” English teacher Kelly Scott charts the lasting impact of a single moment of encouragement in her first year of teaching. That memorable observation started with just one word: “ Wow!”

“He knew that what I really needed—more than professional development, more than goal setting and professional standards—was someone to cheer me on,” she recalled of her administrator’s enthusiastic feedback during that vulnerable first observation.

Leading with enthusiasm isn’t the only advice teachers have to offer the observers coming into their classrooms. Two years ago, when teacher blogger Larry Ferlazzo asked his peers for best practices when administrators (or other teachers) observe their lessons, 19 contributors shared their own ideas. His four-part series on the topic rounded up a slew of their actionable guidance and emotional reflections:

• 18 Ways to Improve Teacher Observations
• How to Make Teacher Observations (Almost) Stress-Free
• Throw Out the Protocol for Teacher Observations. Use Common Sense Instead
• How to Create a Positive Atmosphere for Teacher Observations

It’s not just teachers with a stake in the observation process; administrators have had their say as well.

Last year, Atlanta Assistant Principal NaTasha Woodey-Wideman explained that not every professional learning effort has the same goal—but they all reflect a leader’s instructional values.

In “ How You Deliver Professional Learning Says a Lot About You ,” she urged principals to be intentional about the goals of a specific professional learning effort and then use teacher observations in service of those goals: “If the focus of a session is to provide teachers with tools for formative assessment, the lens of subsequent teacher observations should be formative assessment. After a session on building a strong classroom culture, walk-throughs should focus on culture.”

Soon after, Woodley-Wideman joined principal-turned-leadership-coach Opinion blogger Peter DeWitt for a live online discussion to consider how educator professional learning can move beyond the “sit and get” model.

In the discussion, her guidance began with a reminder that professional learning efforts should put an emphasis on the learning : “We tend to forget that teachers are also learners.”

She concluded her advice by flipping that formulation for school leaders. “Never forget you are a teacher,” she reminded building leaders. “Your classroom is that entire building.” (You can watch the full discussion on-demand for free here .)

Nearly a decade before their conversation, DeWitt was already beating the drum for principal introspection, asking readers: “ Leaders: Are Your Teacher Observations Active or Passive? ”

He cautioned against a box-checking approach to teacher observations, noting, “It is often seen as a process to get done ... instead of a process to get done right.” Principals need to structure the process less like distant evaluators and more like instructional coaches, DeWitt proposed.

That’s a call to action that has been echoed by other educators since, including in David Edelman’s “ Teacher Evaluation That Goes Beyond Check Boxes .” The most helpful post-observation feedback from his years in the classroom, he wrote in the 2016 Opinion essay, came from an informal collaboration with a fellow teacher who engaged deeply with his instructional practice rather than merely handing out a rating.

In the not-so-distant future, some of those moments of professional coaching may not just come from fellow teachers—or even fellow humans. Drawing on their work designing a natural-language-processing tool to provide teachers immediate feedback after a lesson, researchers Jing Liu, Dora Demszky, and Heather C. Hill invited readers to “imagine a world where we could harness the power of AI to provide teachers with automated, valuable feedback.”

That world shouldn’t come at the expense of interpersonal relationships in schools but rather work in service of building even stronger ones, they argued in “ AI Can Make Education More Personal (Yes, Really) ” this past summer.

Whether tech-assisted or otherwise, one thing remains true: There’s no ignoring the emotional vulnerability of the teachers being observed.

After all, to return to Justin Minkel’s appraisal of the observation process, the stakes can feel high. “It’s not just our professional competence that’s wrapped up in an observation,” he reminded readers, “but a sense of our worth as human beings.”

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Guest Essay

A.I.-Generated Garbage Is Polluting Our Culture

By Erik Hoel

Mr. Hoel is a neuroscientist and novelist and the author of The Intrinsic Perspective newsletter.

Increasingly, mounds of synthetic A.I.-generated outputs drift across our feeds and our searches. The stakes go far beyond what’s on our screens. The entire culture is becoming affected by A.I.’s runoff, an insidious creep into our most important institutions.

Consider science. Right after the blockbuster release of GPT-4, the latest artificial intelligence model from OpenAI and one of the most advanced in existence, the language of scientific research began to mutate. Especially within the field of A.I. itself.

Adjectives associated with A.I.-generated text have increased in peer reviews of scientific papers about A.I.

Frequency of adjectives per one million words

Commendable

A study published this month examined scientists’ peer reviews — researchers’ official pronouncements on others’ work that form the bedrock of scientific progress — across a number of high-profile and prestigious scientific conferences studying A.I. At one such conference, those peer reviews used the word “meticulous” more than 34 times as often as reviews did the previous year. Use of “commendable” was around 10 times as frequent, and “intricate,” 11 times. Other major conferences showed similar patterns.

Such phrasings are, of course, some of the favorite buzzwords of modern large language models like ChatGPT. In other words, significant numbers of researchers at A.I. conferences were caught handing their peer review of others’ work over to A.I. — or, at minimum, writing them with lots of A.I. assistance. And the closer to the deadline the submitted reviews were received, the more A.I. usage was found in them.

If this makes you uncomfortable — especially given A.I.’s current unreliability — or if you think that maybe it shouldn’t be A.I.s reviewing science but the scientists themselves, those feelings highlight the paradox at the core of this technology: It’s unclear what the ethical line is between scam and regular usage. Some A.I.-generated scams are easy to identify, like the medical journal paper featuring a cartoon rat sporting enormous genitalia. Many others are more insidious, like the mislabeled and hallucinated regulatory pathway described in that same paper — a paper that was peer reviewed as well (perhaps, one might speculate, by another A.I.?).

What about when A.I. is used in one of its intended ways — to assist with writing? Recently, there was an uproar when it became obvious that simple searches of scientific databases returned phrases like “As an A.I. language model” in places where authors relying on A.I. had forgotten to cover their tracks. If the same authors had simply deleted those accidental watermarks, would their use of A.I. to write their papers have been fine?

What’s going on in science is a microcosm of a much bigger problem. Post on social media? Any viral post on X now almost certainly includes A.I.-generated replies, from summaries of the original post to reactions written in ChatGPT’s bland Wikipedia-voice, all to farm for follows. Instagram is filling up with A.I.-generated models, Spotify with A.I.-generated songs. Publish a book? Soon after, on Amazon there will often appear A.I.-generated “workbooks” for sale that supposedly accompany your book (which are incorrect in their content; I know because this happened to me). Top Google search results are now often A.I.-generated images or articles. Major media outlets like Sports Illustrated have been creating A.I.-generated articles attributed to equally fake author profiles. Marketers who sell search engine optimization methods openly brag about using A.I. to create thousands of spammed articles to steal traffic from competitors.

Then there is the growing use of generative A.I. to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. Some example outputs are Lovecraftian horrors, like music videos about parrots in which the birds have eyes within eyes, beaks within beaks, morphing unfathomably while singing in an artificial voice, “The parrot in the tree says hello, hello!” The narratives make no sense, characters appear and disappear randomly, and basic facts like the names of shapes are wrong. After I identified a number of such suspicious channels on my newsletter, The Intrinsic Perspective, Wired found evidence of generative A.I. use in the production pipelines of some accounts with hundreds of thousands or even millions of subscribers.

As a neuroscientist, this worries me. Isn’t it possible that human culture contains within it cognitive micronutrients — things like cohesive sentences, narrations and character continuity — that developing brains need? Einstein supposedly said : “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” But what happens when a toddler is consuming mostly A.I.-generated dream-slop? We find ourselves in the midst of a vast developmental experiment.

There’s so much synthetic garbage on the internet now that A.I. companies and researchers are themselves worried, not about the health of the culture, but about what’s going to happen with their models. As A.I. capabilities ramped up in 2022, I wrote on the risk of culture’s becoming so inundated with A.I. creations that when future A.I.s are trained, the previous A.I. output will leak into the training set, leading to a future of copies of copies of copies, as content became ever more stereotyped and predictable. In 2023 researchers introduced a technical term for how this risk affected A.I. training: model collapse . In a way, we and these companies are in the same boat, paddling through the same sludge streaming into our cultural ocean.

With that unpleasant analogy in mind, it’s worth looking to what is arguably the clearest historical analogy for our current situation: the environmental movement and climate change. For just as companies and individuals were driven to pollute by the inexorable economics of it, so, too, is A.I.’s cultural pollution driven by a rational decision to fill the internet’s voracious appetite for content as cheaply as possible. While environmental problems are nowhere near solved, there has been undeniable progress that has kept our cities mostly free of smog and our lakes mostly free of sewage. How?

Before any specific policy solution was the acknowledgment that environmental pollution was a problem in need of outside legislation. Influential to this view was a perspective developed in 1968 by Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist. Dr. Hardin emphasized that the problem of pollution was driven by people acting in their own interest, and that therefore “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free-enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons.” This framing was instrumental for the environmental movement, which would come to rely on government regulation to do what companies alone could or would not.

Once again we find ourselves enacting a tragedy of the commons: short-term economic self-interest encourages using cheap A.I. content to maximize clicks and views, which in turn pollutes our culture and even weakens our grasp on reality. And so far, major A.I. companies are refusing to pursue advanced ways to identify A.I.’s handiwork — which they could do by adding subtle statistical patterns hidden in word use or in the pixels of images.

A common justification for inaction is that human editors can always fiddle around with whatever patterns are used if they know enough. Yet many of the issues we’re experiencing are not caused by motivated and technically skilled malicious actors; they’re caused mostly by regular users’ not adhering to a line of ethical use so fine as to be nigh nonexistent. Most would be uninterested in advanced countermeasures to statistical patterns enforced into outputs that should, ideally, mark them as A.I.-generated.

That’s why the independent researchers were able to detect A.I. outputs in the peer review system with surprisingly high accuracy: They actually tried. Similarly, right now teachers across the nation have created home-brewed output-side detection methods , like adding hidden requests for patterns of word use to essay prompts that appear only when copied and pasted.

In particular, A.I. companies appear opposed to any patterns baked into their output that can improve A.I.-detection efforts to reasonable levels, perhaps because they fear that enforcing such patterns might interfere with the model’s performance by constraining its outputs too much — although there is no current evidence this is a risk. Despite public pledges to develop more advanced watermarking, it’s increasingly clear that the companies are dragging their feet because it goes against the A.I. industry’s bottom line to have detectable products.

To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. Perhaps the simplest solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking intrinsic to generated outputs, like patterns not easily removable. Just as the 20th century required extensive interventions to protect the shared environment, the 21st century is going to require extensive interventions to protect a different, but equally critical, common resource, one we haven’t noticed up until now since it was never under threat: our shared human culture.

Erik Hoel is a neuroscientist, a novelist and the author of The Intrinsic Perspective newsletter.

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