Quantitative research has dominated , but it seems to lack the flexibility needed to link pretrial research to ongoing courtroom events. Participant observationis a methodology which seems more suitable for studying the dynamic environment of a trial. A 6-day civil trial is used to evaluate participant observation reports against pretrial survey analysis and trial simulations. The objective is to show how different methodological approaches converge in the frame of reference which reflects the actual verdict reached in trial. Litigation resea ....