School of Communication, Information and Library Studies

Ethnography

Methods of Inquiry Syllabus:514

Gustav W. Friedrich

Describing how people communicate in particular contexts. From the Greek: ethnos (a tribe, race, or nation) & graphos (something written down). Also known as naturalistic or qualitative. Closely associated with symbolic interactionism.

Use of:
emphasizes studying subjective over objective reality
studies the particular rather than the general
has practical benefits: socialization; entry to a culture

Commonalities in:
Inductive reasoning (presuppositionless research)
Proximity and Interaction (dealing directly with people studied)
Ordinary Behavior (natural interaction; usual routines)
Multiple and Flexible Methods

Data Collection in:
A. Observation
Deciding what to observe (person? comm activity? setting?)
Gaining access (insider role; gaining entry)
Role of observer (four types)
Reactive Effects of Observation (reduce by--observing
artifacts/traces; observe unobtrusively; conducting
sustained observation)
Recording observations (impressionistically; field notes)
B. Interviews (unstructured; focus on particulars inductively)
Whom to interview (key informant) (network or snowball)
Interview Locale
Interview Format (funnel) (phenomenological interview;
protocol analysis; stimulated recall; critical
incidents; dramaturgical mode)
Analyzing and Reporting the Interview (grounded theory)

Reliability and Validity in:
Reliability = low
Validity = high

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