Ethnographic Research Explained

Ethnography is the study of cultures through close observation, reading, and interpretation. It is the in-depth study of naturally occurring behavior within a culture or social group. It is carried out to understand the relationship between culture and behavior; with culture referring to the beliefs, values, and attitudes of a specific group of people. Anthropologists immerse themselves in the lives of the people they study, using primarily extended observation and occasionally in-depth interviewing to gain clarification and more detailed information.

Good ethnography would have:

• Long hours of observing the subject
• Long hours spent at site
• Collection of items related to subject such as notes, artifacts, audio, etc.
• Openness of thought process during the study.

Characteristics of ethnographic research:

• CONTEXTUAL – it is carried out in the context of the subject’s natural environment of home and work.
• UNOBTRUSIVE - the research avoids manipulating the phenomena under investigation.
• LONGITUDINAL - the research is more time consuming.
• COLLABORATIVE - The research involves the participation of stakeholders other than the researcher.
• INTERPRETATIVE - The researcher carries out interpretative analyses of the data.
• ORGANIC - There is interaction between questions/ hypotheses and data collection/ interpretation.

Methodology of ethnographic research:

1. Select a suitable project: the scope and limitations could vary majorly from studying a entire complex or single society or a situation. Scope would need to me restricted to be completed in the scheduled time.
2. Preparing questions: before starting the researcher needs to keep in mind the questions that will guide him correctly during the entire procedure.
3. Collecting data: fieldwork is needed t be carried out to get details like physical characteristics of the situation and to track activities. A complete overview is much needed to carry out more focused research.
4. Making a record: mapping, field notes, video clips, photographs, plotting of activities with time and all possible appropriate means must be used to record observations.
5. Analyzing Data: data analysis needs to be done after all the fieldwork is completed. This analysis will in turn lead to more supplementary questions, more site work and more analysis again. This sort of cycle continues till the research is not completed.
6. Writing the Ethnography: The ethnographic report can range in length from several pages to a volume or two. It would make people aware of different cultures and their way of lives.

Some examples of ethnographies in research –

Coffee Shop

Location: any local/international coffee shop

Target: atmosphere of the coffee shop and type of people who went there

Women’s clothing retailer

Location: Any departmental store

Target: How women shop for clothes

Financial service provider

Location: Homes and offices

Target: how people manage their finances

National Mobile Carrier

Location: Retail outlets

Target: How people shop for mobile phones and carrier

References
http://methodsofdiscovery.net
http://www.slideshare.net/rhydave24/ethnographic-research-7659486?related=2
http://www.slideshare.net/lanceabalos/ethnographic-research-2?related=1
http://brianhoey.com

Structured Research Methods

Use of questionnaires and interviews in Research

A questionnaire is a way to bring forth the feelings, beliefs, experiences, perceptions, or attitudes of some sample of individuals. As a data collecting instrument, it could be structured or unstructured.

It is a concise, preplanned set of questions designed to yield specific information to meet a particular need for research information about a particular topic. In a written or printed form used for gathering information a list of questions to be submitted to one or more persons.

In order to accord with the features of qualitative research outlined above, one would need to take into account the questions of:-

• Access. Given what was said above about levels of reality, the researcher needs to know that all are interpreting questions and answers on the questionnaire in the same way and on the same 'level'; and that respondents are giving full and truthful responses.
• The nature of the data required. If the purpose of the questionnaire is to find out factual details or to seek responses to firm categories, the 'harder' the data requested the better. If the purpose is to help discover new qualitative material, then it is better to have more open, unobtrusive and unstructured questions. Questionnaires in qualitative research often contain a mixture of the two.
• The need to identify the context in which replies are being given.
• The need for checks, balances, extensions and modifications.

An interview is a direct face-to-face attempt to obtain reliable and valid measures in the form of verbal responses from one or more respondents. It is a conversation in which the roles of the interviewer and the respondent change continually. A great deal of qualitative material comes from talking with people whether it be through formal interviews or casual conversations.

If interviews are going to tap into the depths of reality of the situation and discover subjects' meanings and understandings, it is essential for the researcher:

• To develop empathy with interviewees and win their confidence;
• To be unobtrusive, in order not to impose one's own influence on the interviewee.
• The best technique for this is the unstructured interview. Here, the researcher has some general ideas about the topics of the interview, and may have an aide memoire of points that might arise in discussion for use as prompts, if necessary. But the hope is that those points will come up in the natural course of the discussion as the interviewee talks. Care is needed, therefore, to avoid leading questions or suggesting outcomes, and skill is called for in discovering what the interviewee really thinks.
• The researcher aims to appear natural, not someone with a special role, but one who engages with interviewees on a person-to-person basis. Attention will be paid to where the interview is held, arrangement of seating, how the researcher dresses, manner of approach, all in the interests of equality.

There are a number of techniques researchers use in the natural course of the conversation to aid clarity, depth and validity. Here are some:

• Check on apparent contradictions, imbalance, exaggerations, or inconsistencies ('Yes, but didn't you say a moment ago…?' 'How can that be so if…?' 'Is it really?' 'Does it necessarily follow that…?' 'Why?' 'Why not?' 'What was the point of that?');
• Search for opinions ('What do you think of that?' 'Do you believe that?');
• Ask for clarification ('What do you mean by…?' 'Can you say a little more about…?' 'In what way?' 'Can you give me some examples?');
• Ask for explanations, pose alternatives ('Couldn't one also say…?');
• Seek comparisons ('How does that relate to…?' 'Some others have said that…');
• Pursue the logic of an argument ('Does it follow, then, that…?' 'Presumably,…?');
• Ask for further information ('What about…?' 'Does that apply to…?);
• Aim for comprehensiveness ('Have you any other…?' 'Do you all feel like that?' 'Have you anything more to say on that?');
• Put things in a different way ('Would it be fair to say that…?' 'Do you mean…?' 'In other words…?');
• Express incredulity or astonishment ('In the fourth year?' 'I don't believe it!' 'Really??');
• Summarise occasionally and ask for corroboration ('So…?' 'What you're saying is…?' 'Would it be correct to say…?')

References:

http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk

https://www.sussex.ac.uk

http://www.okstate.edu

Quirky Office Spaces

I-Would-Love-To-Work-Here

INNOVATIVE! INSPIRATIONAL! ICONIC!

Google offices have a flexible work space that makes their employees more productive and innovative. Their office interior design is full of funky work environment, fun informal meeting spaces and crazy break out areas that can be accessed with scooters. Their main goal is “to create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world.” 

Just by looking at the entire work environment and space a visitor gets the feel of what the company is all about. Flexible and fun work spaces to have improved performance and staff loyalty.

Surreal workspaces - Velourmptious snug, a green, padded homage to the traditional British pub.

Snug-lushness, a garish flower-print padded bench seat. (above)

A space called Granny's Flat. (left)

For escape from office, the 'Hedge Your Bets' secret garden on the roof terrace gives great views of London surrounded by landscape and wifi so people could work there also.

An area called the Town Hall with 200 people seating and features velvet curtains, exposed ceilings and a video wall.

Study of the behaviour of the staff to such spaces is an important part of carrying out the research of creative offices.

With the study of such an example we get an idea of worker efficiency according to creative work spaces. Some could probably work better, some could be distracted or get too relaxed. 

References:

http://www.inspiredspaces4u.com

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

http://www.btoffice.co.uk

http://www.dezeen.com

Art Gallery- Case Study

DELHI ART GALLERY

The Delhi Art Gallery deisgned by Abhhay Narkar
The architecture aims to reform art retail. A need for art gallery is to maximize the use of wall space. In this way the design works get maximum display space. A store was added to sell a bandwith of art works. Adding a library to the space was challenging in just an area of 900q ft.

A different stand out exterior was needed to fit in the existing heritage site of Delhi. The new simple facade stands apart from today’s chaotic urban sprawl, yet still resonates with the region’s historic fabric.

The metal lattice work on exterior with its soft shine stands majestically in the daytime making a gentle impact and in the night it glows and transforms into a dynamic monolith landmark in the busy street.

                          

Interior spaces deigned to fuse different spaces and volumes and create a visual flow connection between all the levels of the art gallery. A private zone was removed for a large administrative block that without obstruction and invisibly controls the services an functioning.
The sculpture court at the end of the ground floor is a dramatic but still gives a feeling of an intimate space with stone architecture.

                                     

A strong contrast created between the rough and natural stone in the interior to the shiny soft metal facade on the exterior.

                                                               

References: http://www.archdaily.com/156154/delhi-art-gallery-re-design-vertex-design/

With the help of this case study i get an understanding of how to fit a certain structure in context to an existing site. To make the structure match the context and get connected to it is of great importance so as not to loose the authenticity of that area. Mix of materials are an interesting way to deal with a space.