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Ethnography
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Julie Meixsell posted May 2, 2023 3:21 AM
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Ethnographic analysis is research designed to improve understanding of other cultures. It was originally used by anthropologists to study isolated tribes and locations but now is used in many different subcultures of society, such as LGBTQ+, minorities, or the homeless. Interviews are used as the main source of information in ethnography, but observation, art, and language are studied as well. The goal is to increase understanding of the culture and its fundamental rules and relationships (Tappen, 2022).
Ethnography can be macro or micro in scale. Macro ethnography is extensive research in the field and may span several years, whereas micro is more focused and may study a single unit or small group. Most focused ethnographies involve a single researcher and limit participants to those with specific knowledge, context, or community. It is practical for nurses as it involves episodic observations over a short time period of time (Crawford, 2019).
As the goal of ethnography is understanding through observation, it is inherently subjective. Researchers aspire to be as objective as possible, but they may enter the study with preconceived notions or biases. Confirmation bias is the analysis of data in a way to support the hypothesis. In interviews, avoid asking leading questions such as “I bet this is what happened next, is that correct?†All of the data obtained should be evaluated, and the researcher should remain open to results that may not be in line with the initial hypothesis. Selection bias is when the group studied does not adequately represent the larger population it represents. An example of selection bias would be to collect evaluation sheets about a teacher’s performance only from the students that scored well in the class as it is assumed they would be more likely to give the teacher a favorable evaluation. Observer bias is the difference in results from different observers. It can be limited by collecting data several times or by different people and comparing the results. It is also important to conduct a thoughtful and honest self-analysis prior to any study to attempt to uncover any inherent biases that may exist (Raad, 2022). Biases that are uncovered during a research study should be documented in the field notes (Crawford, 2019).
References
Crawford, R. (2019). Using focused ethnography in nursing research. Kai Tiaki Nursing Research, 10(1).
Raad, D. (2022). Objectivity in scientific research. Study.com. https://study.com/learn/lesson/objectivity-scientific-research.html
Tappen, R. M. (2021). Advanced nursing research : From theory to practice. (3rd Edition). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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