ABSTRACT
The role of the researcher is much more important in qualitative analysis than in quantitative analysis. With the former, the researcher is part of the studied environment, even though he or she can be more or less actively included. Kogovšek (1998: 55) stresses it is important to decide to what degree the researcher will reveal the dimensions of the study, what amount of time he or she will spend in the studied environment, how actively will the researcher participate, etc. In any case, the researcher’s presence will have a certain impact on people’s behavior. The researcher also needs to pass by ‘gatekeepers’6 (ibid.). In the case of military organizations, they are usually officers or even higher ranked officers. Their intention, as a rule, is to make the organization ‘look good.’ They might, therefore, directly influence other members of armed forces or indirectly show them what kind of behavior is expected. Accordingly, officers play a double role; on one hand, they order their subordinates to participate in the research and, on the other, they give them open or concealed limitations. It can be expected that such situations have a certain impact on the dynamics of the observed group and the behavior of individuals. In any case, the most important factor for obtaining high quality information is the attitude the studied group has towards the researcher (Kogovšek 1998: 56).
