Question

one of the limitations of using participant observation to carry out research is that ______.
○ you never meet any subjects face-to-face
○ it is expensive for researchers to do
○ the research only lasts for a few days
○ replication of the research is difficult

Explanation:

• Option "you never meet any subjects face - to - face" is wrong because in participant observation, researchers interact face - to - face with subjects as they participate in the group's activities.
• Option "it is expensive for researchers to do" is not a main limitation of participant observation. Other research methods like large - scale surveys with complex sampling may be more expensive.
• Option "the research only lasts for a few days" is incorrect. Participant observation can be long - term, as researchers may immerse themselves in the group for extended periods to understand their behavior and culture.
• Option "replication of the research is difficult" is correct. Participant observation is highly dependent on the researcher's personal observations, the specific context of the group being observed, and the researcher's interactions with the group. It is hard to recreate the exact same conditions, group dynamics, and researcher - subject interactions in another study, so replication is difficult.

Answer:

D. replication of the research is difficult