The three which is one of the most powerful ways to come to understand a group and their activities. Participant observation is a means to get as close as possible to a group without disturbing the natural operations of its members (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995). Participant observation is differentiated from ethnography in that the extent of involvement can range from complete observational detachment to complete participative involvement, and anything in between (Gold, 1969). Regardless, in participant observation, the researchers remain detached from the research—that is, they are "objective observers.