Understand behavior as it truly happens

The Observer

You want your observations to be structured, reliable, and rigorous. The Observer is the leading platform for coding, analyzing, and managing behavioral data in scientific research. From designing detailed coding schemes to capturing live or video-based observations and transforming them into structured datasets ready for statistical analysis and publication.

The Observer - behavioral coding
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Efficient coding Structured, reliable data capture

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Advanced analysis Reveal patterns and sequences

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Publication ready Cited in scientific literature

The Observer coding scheme

Design. Observe. Analyze.

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Design your coding scheme

Build structured coding schemes that match your research design, from simple event logs to complex behavioral frameworks.

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Capture behavior precisely

Record live or use pre-recorded videos and code events, states, and interactions with frame-level accuracy.

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Analyze and export data

Explore sequences, durations, and co-occurrences, then export structured datasets for statistical analysis.

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Get The Observer for your lab

Professional software for coding and analyzing observational data in human behavior research.

Essential

€ 2,495.-

excl. tax | incl. 1 year NoldusCare

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Code live or from multiple videos

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Includes advanced analyses like inter-rater reliability

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Best for early-stage projects and budget-conscious teams

Advanced

€ 5,000.-

excl. tax | incl. 1 year NoldusCare

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Everything in Essential, plus:

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MediaRecorder for synchronized video collection

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2 Coder Licenses for parallel coding and team collaboration

Premium

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Everything in Advanced, plus:

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3 Main seats and unlimited Coder Licenses

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External data & E-Prime for integration and synchronization

Build your complete solution

Hardware

Hardware

Choose a laptop with an integrated webcam for a flexible and portable solution, or opt for a workstation with a webcam for a more robust setup suited to dedicated research environments.

NoldusCare

NoldusCare

Add an additional year of NoldusCare to keep your software performing at its best. Includes the latest features, ongoing technical support, and access to the Noldus Academy. The first year is included free of charge.

Remote training

Remote training

Ensure a strong start with our remote training sessions. Led by experienced Noldus trainers, these sessions help you quickly become familiar with the software. The fastest way to start working efficiently from day one.

Hardware Options

Laptop with integrated webcam

Start recording immediately with a simple setup and no additional hardware required.

Price on request

Laptop with webcam and USB extender

More flexibility in camera positioning with higher image quality for reliable recordings.

Price on request

Workstation with webcam and USB extender

A robust setup suited to dedicated research environments with maximum performance.

Price on request

Additional NoldusCare

NoldusCare for The Observer Essential

Extend your NoldusCare coverage by one additional year for The Observer Essential.

€ 250.-

NoldusCare for The Observer Advanced

Extend your NoldusCare coverage by one additional year for The Observer Advanced.

€ 500.-

NoldusCare for The Observer Premium

Extend your NoldusCare coverage by one additional year for The Observer Premium.

€ 1,000.-

Remote Training

Essential remote training

2 hours of remote training for a maximum of 5 participants

€ 300,-

Advanced remote training

5 hours of remote training for a maximum of 15 participants

€ 900,-

Premium remote training

1 full day of remote training, unlimited participants

€ 1.750,-

Structured behavioral analysis

Features that simplify your work

Understanding behavior requires more than recording what happens. It requires a structured approach that connects study design, observation, analysis, and data integration in one coherent workflow.

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Time-based precision

Analyze how behavior unfolds over time, revealing patterns, transitions, and meaningful sequences.

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Multimodal integration

Synchronize behavioral data with different types of data such as facial expressions, eye tracking data, physiological signals, EEG data and screen captures in one unified timeline.

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Clear visualizations

Generate graphs and visual summaries that reveal trends, durations, and behavioral structures at a glance. Visualizing your data helps you understand it better and lets you create professional figures for your publications.

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Bias-resistant analysis

Observations by different coders (inter-rater) are compared record by record. The software reports Cohen's Kappa, agreements, and disagreements, and supports intra-rater reliability as a basic quality check.

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Publication power

Boost your chances of getting published in high-impact journals by using The Observer, the most trusted tool for behavioral research. Trusted as the gold standard in over 15,000 peer-reviewed studies.

See The Observer in action

Short videos showing how researchers and professionals use The Observer

Neurolab - Université du Québec à Montréal
Education

Neurolab - Université du Québec à Montréal

Studying educational research

One of the unique qualities of this educational neuro-lab is its capability to study two persons in interaction, for instance during video gaming. Both of them are being studied at the same time: EEG and video signals are recorded, as well as eye tracking data.

University of Mons
Training

Improve teacher practices - University of Mons

Innovative tools to analyze interactions

Marie Bocquillon works with two labs: one for recording trainee teachers during lessons, and one for reviewing annotated video feedback. During debriefing, the supervisor and trainee review and discuss the recorded lesson together.

Frequently asked questions

About The Observer

The Observer allows you to integrate a wide range of data streams, including video, audio, physiological data (such as heart rate or skin conductance), eye tracking, facial expressions, EEG, and more. The specific number will depend on the project set-up and the types of equipment or sensors being used.

Important factors for the system requirements include the use of video, the amount of data, the complexity of data selections and analyses, and the size of external data files. For optimal performance and functionality, an up-to-date computer system is strongly recommended.

With Pocket Observer, the mobile companion to The Observer, you can code behavior in real-world settings while participants are on the move. Whether participants are moving on a playground, in a store, or in a museum, you can capture detailed observational data unobtrusively using its intuitive interface. Data can later be synchronized for further analysis within The Observer.

The Observer offers a Coder license that allows multiple observers to code behavior simultaneously within the same research project. Using The Observer Coder license allows for coding and visualization only. After all behaviors are coded, you can collect the observations in your main project with a full license of The Observer and perform data selection, visualization, and analysis.

Yes. The Observer integrates with uLog for logging external events, uASQ for collecting questionnaire data, and E-Prime for stimulus presentation. This allows you to synchronize behavioral observations with experimental events and self-report data in one unified, time-aligned dataset.

Ready to get started?

Let's talk about your research

Whether you're setting up a new observation lab, upgrading your coding tools, or need a custom quote - we're here to help. Tell us about your research and we'll find the right setup for you.

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