Research in the natural environment. In the case of many scientific disciplines, naturalistic observation is a useful tool to expand knowledge about a specific species or phenomenon.
In fields such as anthropology and biology and the ecology of behavior, it is essential to observe a person or organism in their habitat.
Much of the naturalistic observation is non-instrusive, as in the case of an investigator who installs a hidden camera to film the behavior of a badger. Most documentaries about nature are examples of naturalistic observation studies, where days, weeks or even years of film are analyzed and edited to provide a general overview of the life cycle of an organism.
