User research: Ethnographic research cases and their pros and cons

Article Description: UE Research Method-ethnography (ethnography).

Ethnography, ethnography, has the connotation of the human portrait, originally for social human scholars to participate in the observation method, to the specific culture and society collection production data, records, evaluation, and social or anthropological theory, to explain such observations of a research method.

The research scope of ethnography : Anthropology, Sociology, pedagogy

Ethnographic Research methods : mainly including observation (participatory and non-participatory observation), interviews and other common questionnaires; case description, comparative method, classification method

Ethnographic research Process :

-Preparation : Identify research focus, objectives, and problems; identify the place; Develop the role of researcher in fieldwork "1"

Put aside the previous research theory and research results until the correlation is found in the field, then pay attention to it;

Ethnographic entry into the field should establish a harmonious relationship with the people in the research place, including social map+spacial map+temporal map

-Outline Fieldwork: Select participants, context and activities (including target sampling)

When a target sample is sampled, several sampling methods may be available:

• Comprehensive sampling-ideal, size;
• Maximum variance sampling or quota sampling-a subunit representing the primary unit of analysis;
• Mesh sampling and snowball sampling-designate the next participant and use it more in depth interviews;
• Extreme case Sampling-first find the typical or general;
• Typical case sampling-identifying general case characteristics;
• Unique case sampling-extraordinary or infrequent;
• Prestige Case sampling-expert advice;
• Key case sampling-particularly important, logical, and large citations;
• Intensive case sampling;
• Concept \ Theoretical standard sampling-consulting rich or familiar with the situation to experience;

-Selection of data collection methods : mainly include interactive observation, interview, collection of artifacts, application of supplementary techniques and other common questionnaire methods.

Each method can be subdivided into more specific techniques, and a typical ethnography uses multiple ideas, even using a variety of strategies to determine the data collected by a strategy.

Observation: On-site participation in observation, fine observation and listening, long time collection of data, confirmation of observations, observation of significant matters, field answers, reflective records

Deep interview: To get the respondent's response to a certain thing and the way of thinking, here should pay attention to the type of interview, the quality of the problem, order, logic, do a good interview record, do not miss any details

-Collection of artifacts for the purpose of finding, confirming, analyzing, identifying and interpreting

Collection of personal or official documents: written and symbolic records held by social group participants

Object: An object that shows social meaning and value

-Supplementary methods

Visual

Analysis of Nonverbal communication

Focus Group

Deep visit

-Analysis Data : Case description, Comparison method, classification method

• Aim-oriented, produce some ideas and propositions, and finally get the concept.
• Coding classification, arranging data order;
• Reliability of estimated data: finding negative evidence to avoid special examples
• Using triangular crossover method to compare information

• Exhibit construction data, such as flowcharts, matrices

-Make a conclusion

The advantages and disadvantages of ethnography research

Advantages:

1, the hypothesis is dynamic, the conclusion is open

2. Easier access to new insights and assumptions

3. Realistic assumptions can be established

4, more unexpected than the traditional method of harvest

5. With continuity

Disadvantages:

1. Ethnographic researchers require a higher demand for technical training, and observers often have preconceived notions

2, spend a lot of time and money

3. Long record and difficult to quantify

4, the observer will have emotional and emotional input

The problem of ethnography is that the use of the method of quantitative representation and the application of sampling procedures vary from person to person. However, we have to dialectically look at this problem, each scientific method has its advantages and disadvantages, we can do is to use this method as far as possible, as far as possible to make its results more credibility. The way to note this is:

1, the time to extend the field work

2, the movement various method strategy

3. Language used by verbatim recording participants

4, the description of the low inference

5, the use of a number of researchers

6, the mechanical record material

7, the use of information provided by the participants

8. Participation and inspection by members

9, the use of participants review

10. Use Participant to negative case

Classic case:

One, Zhang Tongdao movie villain Country: http://movie.douban.com/subject/3778273/

Second, from 1980-90 Saunders to the casino and gamblers conducted a series of research, published a number of papers. For example, SAUNDERS12 a month to track and observe the behavior of 2 gamblers teams, by attending gamblers meetings, private interviews, informal gatherings, and many other ways to observe. He concludes and draws some broad conclusions: gamblers will be affected by many factors in the process of returning to normal people, leading to the change and recovery of gamblers, or refusal to change. Later, some of his papers and ideas were also used by some research gamblers in the psychological treatment of gambling.

Now think about it, in fact, in the life style of the project, has been used in the ethnographic methodology, but at that time they have always thought that this is called deep visit, not to delve into the methodology behind it, all of the above mentioned process and attention matters, seems to have been used at that time, Now I just want to sum up this methodology and expect to be able to use it in a later project (now I can think of using the analysis of social sellers). Unlike the Seabuckthorn report, perhaps the focus is on the specific product or some product issues.

In addition, in the Ideo innovation method, saw extreme User interview, behind this research theory, still have the attention to extreme samples, want to know why?!

"1" Fieldwork: Human scholars carefully observe, record, participate in the daily life of different cultures, they engage in these activities are called "field work" (fieldwork), their method is also known as "field work Method"