Observational research requires careful attention to specifying where and how observations are made, what is observed, and how it is recorded. As a result, operational definitions in this type of research may be quite lengthy with multiple components. Let's say that you recently read Nancy Henley's theory of status, power, and dominance and want to study whether those in higher status positions are more likely to initiate informal, friendly touches and those in lower status positions are more likely to initiate more formal touches. Let's develop each part of our operational definition:

1. How observations are made
2. What is observed
3. How behavior is recorded