Interpretive-ethnographic research, which involves in-depth and intensive observation afford researcher the opportunity to better understand

1. ETHNOGRAPHIC
RESEARCH
Ayaz hunxic

2. ETHNOGRAPHY
 Introduction
– What is Ethnography?
– Usage of Ethnography
– Beneficiary of the Study
• Methodology
– How to conduct it.
– How to collect and analyze data.
– How to write a report.
– Dos & Don’ts
– Advantages & Disadvantages
Ethno: people or folk;
Graphy: describe something
= Ethnography: describing
and understanding another
way of life from the native
point of view (Neuman,
2007)

3. ETHNOGRAPHY:
 Defined as: a method of observing human interactions in social settings and
activities (Burke & Kirk, 2001)
 as the observation of people in their ‘cultural context’ the study and
systematic recording of human cultures; also : a descriptive work produced
from such research (Merriam-Webster Online)
 Rather than studying people from the outside, you learn from people from the
inside.
The systematic study and documentation of human activity without imposing a
earlier interpretation.

4. What is ETHNOGRAPHY ? :
 Anthropology:
Study of cultures, relationships, humans and their environment
• Anthropologists live within an community for an extended period of time:
interacting, studying, participating, researching
• Return to home community with research, write paper/book on the culture of
community The application of anthropological techniques is ethnography.
Ethnography literally means the writings or report of anthropology study

5. Ethnography
Principles of Ethnography
 Holism / Philosophy
-Focuses on relations among activities and not on a single tasks or single isolated
individuals
-Everything connected to everything else
- started without a single hypothesis
-Study people in their native habitats
-e.g. Home, office, school, library, hospital, community.

6. Roots of Traditional Ethnography
 Anthropology
 Sociology
 Social Psychology
 Folklore Studies
 Linguistics

7. Methodology
 Step 1: Preparation
 Step 2: Field Study/ field work
 Step 3: Analysis
 Step 4: Reporting

8. Step 1: Preparation
• Familiarize yourself with:
– Organization policies
– Work culture
– Current System & its history
• Identify the Focus of the Study
– Set initial goals and prepare questions.
– Can be guided by designer goals
• Gain access and permission
• Gate-keepers vs. Sponsors

9. Step 2: Field Study
 Establish rapport with managers and users. Record everything: your visits,
observations, impressions, feelings, hunches, emerging questions, etc. ASAP
for accuracy Be Meticulous!!!
 • Field notes, audio, or video recording.
 • Follow any leads

10. Step 3: Analysis
• Compile data into databases:
– Numerical
– Textual
– Multimedia
 Quantify data and compile statistics.
 Reduce and Interpret Data.
 • Review and Redevelop Ideas.

11. Step 4: Reporting
 Consider multiple audiences and respective goals.
• Prepare a report and present the findings.
• Have debriefing meetings

12. Visuals can be important in supporting
written text Photo: L.Manderson

13. Dos & Don’ts
Don’t
• Ask simple Yes/No questions
• Ask leading questions
• Use unfamiliar jargon
• Lead/guide the ‘user’
Do
• Ask open-ended
questions
• Phrase questions
properly to avoid
bias
• Speak their
language
• Let user notice
things on his/her
own

14. Advantages
• ‘Real-world’ data
• Provides in-depth understanding of people in an organization.
• Discovery
• Can be economical (if you ‘do it yourself’).

15. Disadvantages
 Context too specific
 • ‘Going native’
 • Must negotiate access
 • Time & Money
 • Data is messy and often unstructured.
 • How do you assess significance?

16. Sample Ethnography in Khyber gojal
 Discussed in next class