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Ethnographic Methods of Data Collection (507X8B)

15 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Spring teaching

This module will develop your understanding of ethnographic research methods. You'll learn about ethnographic research through reading secondary accounts and by conducting your own projects. You'll reflect on participant observation, informal conversations and interviewing as research methods, assessing their possibilities and limits. Discussion will focus on access to ethnographic settings, comportment in the field, and the interpretation of observations.

The module will also concentrate on the process of recording ethnographic data through fieldnotes. Project teams will present and critically reflect upon their experiences of conceptualising, planning and carrying out their research projects.

Topics will include:

• accessing settings
• overt and covert observations in natural settings
• participant observation
• talking with research subjects
• field research in familiar and unfamiliar cultures
• recording observational data: field notes and diaries.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 13 hours of contact time and about 137 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.