ETHNOGRAPHY/ETHOGRAPHY

 The study and recording of moral behavior and

manners.

 The study of ethics

ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Is a qualitative method where researchers

interact with a study’s participants in their real-life

environment.
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Is used to support a researcher’s deeper

understanding of the research problem.

ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Aims to get “under the skin” of a research

problem. By achieving this, a researcher will be able to

fully understand the problem and therefore design a

better solution.
 Researchers live
amongst the subjects for
a year or more.
 Costly, making it an
unpopular method of
ethnographic research.
 Researchers live
amongst the subjects for
a month.
 Useful for user-centered
projects.
 Participant observation

 Interviews

 surveys
EXAMPLE:

In order to understand the way in which a

Merchant Bank trades and operates, a researcher
might conduct an ethnographic study by working and
socializing with its employees for a month
WHEN TO USE ETHNOGRAPHY?

 At the beginning of a project.

 When the research problem is very complex and/or

critical.
EXAMPLE:
An insurance company wanted to re-design their
system dealing with the processing of insurance claims.
This system had evolved over many years and actually
represented a patchwork of previous systems. The “claim
processing” supported by this “system of systems” is itself
a highly complex process. In this example, ethnographic
research should be considered.
ADVANTAGES OF ETHNOGRAPHY

 Ethnography can help identify and analyze unexpected

issues.

 Ethnography can be useful in uncovering and

analyzing relevant user attitudes and emotions.

DISADVANTAGES OF ETHNOGRAPHY

 Ethnographic studies tend to take longer to generate and

analyze its data than other methods.

 Ethnography subjects may not act naturally during short

study.
EXAMPLE:
During the first week of an ethnographic study into an
insurance claim processing system, all the subjects were observed
to be following the strictest interpretation of the correct procedures.
As time progressed, however, it became increasingly apparent that
almost all employees had “work-arounds” and “short cuts” which
were liberally used in order to speed things up. These behaviors
were very instructive in helping to re-design the process flow. Had
the researcher not stayed in-situ long enough to observe these, they
may have gone unrecorded.
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ETHNOGRAPHY
RESEARCHER

Ethnographic researchers need to be highly-

skilled to avoid all potential pitfalls. Some of these

include the detail and completeness of observations, as

well as potential bias (and mistakes) in data collection or

analysis.
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ETHNOGRAPHY
SUBJECTS

Ethnographic subjects need to be open and

honest with the researcher.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ETHNOGRAPHY

As you can see, most of the risks associated with

ethnographic studies relate to the researcher, either

directly or indirectly. This, of course, means that the

quality the researcher is critical to an ethnographic

study’s success.
 Group 3
Members:
 Cabello, Catherine
 Derain, John Dave
 Inajada, Melvin
 Lisondra, Roylan
 Ouano, Ellijah Lance
 Paragoso, Jose
 Paredes, Vince Ian
 Rodriguez, Chloe Marie
Reference: www.spotless.co.uk/insights/ethnography-when-and-how