Field Research Ethnographic Interview Methodology
summary | detail | contextual inquiry methodology | ethnographic interview methodology
The ethnographic interview process can take from four weeks to three months, depending on the requirements for participant recruiting, travel to participant sites, and results reporting.
Ethnographic Interview Design
The design of a ethnographic interview summarizes the issues of concern, the questions to ask, the tasks of interest, and the criteria for screening the people who participate.
Tec-Ed meets with you to identify the issues to be explored in the interviews and the characteristics of the desired participants.
Tec-Ed then creates a research plan listing the goals of the research, the high-level questions and issues to discuss, and the activities that will help explore the questions and issues.
Following review of the research plan, Tec-Ed creates an interview protocol containing a script for the facilitator, note-taking forms for the observer, optional handouts and materials for exercises, and questionnaires as appropriate.
Ethnographic Interview Sessions
Tec-Ed conducts ethnographic interviews with a team of two researchers.
- One researcher leads the interview.
- The other researcher takes detailed notes about the environment, artifacts, and discussions; records digital video and photographs of the environment and artifacts (with the participant’s permission); and audiotapes the session.
Holding interviews in the users’ environment makes the discussions more concrete, as well as encourages participation from busy people. The researchers and participants explore artifacts such as scraps of paper, sticky notes, browser bookmarks or favorites, and other information sources that complement product use. Artifacts also provide contextual reminders to participants performing tasks during ethnographic interviews.
Often the environment is a small cubicle or home-office work space. Pets may be present, phones may ring, and other unplanned interruptions may occur. The researchers’ job is to help the participant stay focused on the interview, but also to behave as a “guest” and stay flexible as needed.
The facilitator conducts the interview from the protocol, adjusting the order of topics as needed to maintain a natural flow of discussion. As part of each ethnographic interview, the participant usually completes a short written questionnaire. That way, we can collect individual reactions and preferences on some issues, as well as quantitative data across all participants.
Ethnographic Interview Data Collection and Reporting
After completing the ethnographic interviews, the researchers create a text database of notes (including participant quotes) that reflect various aspects of the answers to the interview questions. This method assists the initial data analysis and makes it easier to “mine” the data to address follow-up questions from the design team.
Then Tec-Ed analyzes the data and presents the findings and recommendations in a written report and a discussion meeting.
Ethnographic Interview Participants
A key ingredient of successful ethnographic interviewing is selecting appropriate participants. Tec-Ed will work with you to identify the desired number and balance of participant characteristics, and we’ll summarize the participant “profiles” in the research plan.
Even though ethnographic interviewing is a highly qualitative method, most ethnographic interviewing projects include at least three participants per profile, to help minimize the effects of individual differences.
Tec-Ed’s staff of experienced participant recruiters will screen and select participants who meet the agreed-upon criteria. Where participants are key customers, recruiting can occur more efficiently if your organization introduces the research study to them; Tec-Ed provides the written description to facilitate this introduction. We often need 20–50 candidate names for each actual recruited participant.