This document summarizes ethnographic research methods. It defines ethnographic research as attempting to holistically document a society, group or situation through observation and interviews. The document outlines the three steps of the ethnographic process: providing a detailed cultural description, identifying themes, and interpreting meanings. It discusses topics well-suited for ethnographic research, like classroom interactions. Methods covered include participant observation, interviews, and sampling small groups. Advantages include a rich perspective, but disadvantages include ambiguity and non-generalizable results. An example study examining permeability in psychiatric wards is provided.

1. Ethnographic Research
By
Michael Kotutwa Johnson
Submitted
November 9th, 2006
AED 615
Professor Franklin

2. Overview
 What is Ethnographic Research?
 Applied Topics and Examples
 Sampling and Data Collection
 Advantages and Disadvantages
 Sample of an Ethnographic Study
 References

3. Ethnographic Research is…
“An attempt to attain as holistic a
picture as possible of a particular
society, group, institution, or situation.
The emphasis in ethnographic research
is on documenting or portraying the
everyday experiences of individuals by
observing and interviewing them and
relevant others.”(Frankel & Wallen,
2006)

4. What is Incorporated into the
Ethnographic Process…Three
Step Process
• Provides a detailed description of culture-
sharing group being studied.
• An analysis of the group in terms of perceived
themes or perspectives.
• Interpretation of the group by the researcher
as to the meanings or generalizations about
the social life of human beings in general.

5. Applied Topics and Examples
 Those that by their nature defy simply quantification (for example, the
interaction of students and teachers in classroom discussions).
 Those that involve the study of individual or group activities over time
(such as changes that occur in the attitudes of at-risk students as they
participate in a specially designed, year long, reading program).
 Those involving the study of formal organizations in their totality (for
example, schools, school districts, and so forth.)
 Those that can best be understood in a natural (as opposed to
opposite) setting (for example, the behavior of students at a school
event.)

6. Sampling and Data Collection

7. Sampling
 De Facto Sample
 Sample Size Typically Small
 No Generalization of Results
 Replication of Findings can Best be
Determined by Replication of Their Work in
other Settings or Situations by other
Researchers.

8. Ethnographic Data Collection
1. Participant Observation
a. Field Notes
b. Field Jottings
c. Reflective Field Notes
2. Interviewing
a. Structured
b. Semistructured
c. Informal
d. Retrospective

9. Advantages and Disadvantages

10. Advantages
 Richer Comprehensive
Prospective.
 Lends Itself Well to Research
Topics that are not Easily
Quantified.
 Particularly Appropriate to
Behaviors that are Best
Understood by Observing Them
within their Natural Settings.
 Especially Suited to Studying
Group Behavior over Time.

11. Disadvantages
 Highly Dependent on the Particular
Researcher’s Observations and
Interpretations.
 No Numerical Data Provided Leads to
Checking of Validity of the Researcher’s
Conclusions.
 Single Situations Usually Observed Leads
to Non-Generalizable Results.
 Inevitable Ambiguity that Accompanies
this method, Preplanning and Review by
Others are much less Useful than in
Quantitative Studies.
 Variables and Relationships are hard to
Define due to Research Usually beginning
without and Hypothesis.

12. Sample of an Ethnographic Study
“The permeable institution: An ethnographic
study of three acute psychiatric wards in
London”
By
Alan Quirk, Paul Lelliott and Clive Seale
Published in 2006

13. What is the Study About?
This paper examines the issue of
permeability to the outside world from
within a modern psychiatric world. It
involves interviews with patients,
patient advocates and staff on 3
psychiatric wards.

14. References
Ellen, R.F. (1984) Ethnographic research: A guide to general conduct. London:
Academic Press Inc.
Fraenkal, J.R. & Wallen, N.E. (2006). How to design and evaluate research and education. New York:
McGraw Hill.
Genzuk, M. (1999). A synthesis of ethnographic research. Retrieved October 29, 2006, from
http://www.rcf.usc.edu/~genzuck/Ethnographic_Research.html
LeCompte, M.D., & Goetz, J.P. (1982). Problems of reliability and validity in ethnographic research.
Review of Education Research, 52(1), 31-60.
Quirk, A., Lelliot, P., & Seale, C. (2006). The permeable institution: An ethnographic study of three acute
psychiatric wards in London. Social Sciences & Medicine, (63), 2105-2117.
Werner, O., & Schoepfle, G.M. (1987) Systematic fieldwork: Ethnographic analysis and data
management. Newbury Park: SAGE Publications.

15. Questions