Ethnographic research

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Ethnographical research is a study through direct observation of users in their normal environment rather than in a laboratory. Ethnographical research also refers to the study of customary social behaviors of a specific group of people. Such research is also called culture writing. This research is qualitative research that observes qualitative variables in their habitats or natural environments to reach research outcomes. From a different perspective, ethnographic research means the study of the social interaction of users in a specified environment (1). The ethnographic researcher seeks to know how users see the world and interact with all around them, the many aspects of culture, and differences in culture among different groups. Ethnographic research also provides data from continued, overt, and methodological observation of social situations about their naturally occurring events. This research is expected to explore the subjective meanings and impact on governmental and not-for-profit organizational dynamics. The role of ethnological research in public sector research lies in the ability of the public sector enterprise to better understand the people, changing the focus of the enterprise, and create interventions that have strong impacts on society (2). The challenges for public enterprises in using information collected from ethnographical research are that public enterprises have the policy of accepting information that is statistically valid and not based on observations or anecdotes.

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Some of the features of ethnographic research are that methods used include direct observations, video recording, diary studies, photography, and analysis of artifacts. Observations are of two types, namely passive observation, and contextual interviews. During passive observations, the users may be first interviewed alone or in their groups to ascertain their needs. Next observations are documented throughout the day making photographs, videos, or taking notes (3). The purpose is to get an insight quickly and spot any disconnects about how the participant actually interacts with others. During the contextual interview, the researcher interacts with participants while observing them going about their everyday tasks. Usually, the data collected is analyzed by looking for patterns and themes. The researcher also lists the obstacles and challenges the participants face and affects them. Researchers commonly use the affinity diagram for the presentation of observations and data from the research. Ethnographic research is valuable because it provides the researcher the ability to see how users interact with others in their natural or work environment, spot unexpected issues that have not been brought to the knowledge of the user, and the opportunity test out changes that ...