QUALITATIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE OBSERVER AND THE OBSERVED IN VETERINARY EPIDEMIOLOGY

The phenomenon of qualitative interaction between the research activit y and the studied object exists in veterinary epidemiology, as in all observation-based disciplines. Observational studies carried out under farm conditions strongly involve the farmers and the farm's usual adv isors in the data collection. This leads to various biological and soc iological interactions between the observer and the observed that can modify the results of the study. Some methodological considerations ar e proposed in order to consider such qualitative interaction, from the designing of the study through to the interpretation of the results. Examples are presented to illustrate these ideas. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience B.V.