Question 1:
Select an online or offline environment where you already regularly participate. Your goal is to understand how group communication works and how it is experienced in this environment. This environment could be a website or forum, a gaming environment, a media sharing platform (like Youtube, Vimeo, Flickr or a specific blog), a social media site (like facebook, Snapchat, Tumblr or Twitter), a sporting team training and game, a social gathering, or any other kind of online environment that supports user participation.
Carry out participant observation ethnographic research over a 48-hour period (or as relevant so that you are involved in the research for at least two hours) and write field notes about this experience. What is important is that your field notes capture: what happened, what you learnt about your object of study (e.g. group communication in XX sport or group communication on XX social media), a reflection on what happened and on your personal experience.
Here are a couple of helpful documents:
This tip sheet on creating field notes will help you: (i will attached in the material file)
*(Q1-how to write file note)
*(Q1-Sample ethnography observation) to a similar exercise from a Masters research methods course
Question 2:
Spend at least 15 minutes exploring and taking notes at least one of the following three websites:
Write a small report on what you see, and what you have learned from visiting the website/s:
- (http://ethnographymatters.net) - a fantastic blog "where we can gain insight, advice and inspiration from those who are defining what high quality, accessible and innovative ethnographic research might look like in a future that is increasingly mediated by technology."
- (https://usabilla.com/blog/top-ethnographic-research-videos/) a useful selection of videos to help illuminate the ethnographic research approach and methods as well as some example studies that show how ethnography has been used to help the design of new products and projects.
- (http://lifeoffgrid.ca) - a film and book based on an ethnographic study of people building their lives around renewable energy.