When and Why to Use Ethnography

Table of links Table of links Abstract Abstract Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Introduction 1 Introduction 2 Is an ethnographic study the right choice? 2 Is an ethnographic study the right choice? 2 Is an ethnographic study the right choice? The context of your research The kind of research questions you want to answer What ethnographic studies require from the researcher The context of your research The kind of research questions you want to answer What ethnographic studies require from the researcher 3 Planning an ethnographic study 3 Planning an ethnographic study 3 Planning an ethnographic study Finding a site for field work Participant or non-participant observation Duration of field work Space and Location Theoretical underpinning Finding a site for field work Participant or non-participant observation Duration of field work Space and Location Theoretical underpinning 4 Implementing your ethnographic study 4 Implementing your ethnographic study 4 Implementing your ethnographic study Gaining access and starting up Handling your preconceptions During the study Going Native Leaving the field Gaining access and starting up Handling your preconceptions During the study Going Native Leaving the field 5 From Data to Text 5 From Data to Text 5 From Data to Text Reflective and inductive analysis Writing Ethnography for Software Engineering Audiences - Reporting the Results Reflective and inductive analysis Writing Ethnography for Software Engineering Audiences - Reporting the Results 6 Ethnography and Research Ethics 6 Ethnography and Research Ethics 6 Ethnography and Research Ethics 7 Final comments, Further reading and References 7 Final comments, Further reading and References 7 Final comments, Further reading and References 7 Final comments, Further reading, and References 7 Final comments, Further reading, and References At the start of this chapter, we provided a simple answer as to why ethnography is different to other qualitative methods. Having read through the chapter and hopefully completed the exercises along the way, we hope that you have a clearer and more holistic answer to this question. Ethnography is characterised by focusing on the members’ point of view and understanding why things are the way they are. Understanding current practice helps to inform decisions about future practice, processes and tools. But it’s not the specific practice that is relevant; it’s the significance of that practice. Ethnography is good at answering “how” and “why” questions and makes certain demands of the researcher, such as focusing on everyday detail and writing thick descriptions. It has been used to address research questions in four contexts: investigations of social and human aspects, to inform tool design, to inform process change and to complement other research methods. So we invite you to consider this question again, this time for yourselves: What are the key differences between ethnography and: a. Grounded theory b. Action research c. Case study How might an ethnographic study complement a research programme that involves: a. Experiments b. Survey c. Systematic literature review What are the key differences between ethnography and: a. Grounded theory b. Action research c. Case study What are the key differences between ethnography and: a. Grounded theory b. Action research c. Case study How might an ethnographic study complement a research programme that involves: a. Experiments b. Survey c. Systematic literature review How might an ethnographic study complement a research programme that involves: a. Experiments b. Survey c. Systematic literature review The following are suggestions for further reading on this topic: Fetterman, D.M.: Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage publications (2020) Fetterman, D.M.: Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage publications (2020) This is a very practical book about ethnography and although written with a social science audience in mind, it is accessible to readers from a wide range of backgrounds. Hammersley, M., Atkinson, P.: Ethnography: Principles in practice. Routledge (2019) Hammersley, M., Atkinson, P.: Ethnography: Principles in practice. Routledge (2019) This article is written from a social sciences perspective, and aims to take an objective view of ethnography and its limitations. It deepens and problematizes some of the issues raised in this chapter and introduces some others Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., Tacchi, J.: Digital Ethnography: Principles and Practice. SAGE Publications Ltd, United Kingdom (2016) Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., Tacchi, J.: Digital Ethnography: Principles and Practice. SAGE Publications Ltd, United Kingdom (2016) This text provides an introduction to digital ethnography and how different media and technologies affect the ethnographic research endeavour, both through their effects on the world being studied and the opportunities that technology provides for the researcher. Randall, D.W., Harper, R.H.R., Rouncefield, M.: field work for Design - Theory and Practice. Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Springer (2007) Randall, D.W., Harper, R.H.R., Rouncefield, M.: field work for Design - Theory and Practice. Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Springer (2007) The book presents a social science perspective on ethnography in the context of Computer Supported Cooperative work. It explains ethnography and how it can be brought to bear on design of software to support cooperation. Though this is different from using ethnography in software engineering, it supports the possibility to use ethnography in different disciplinary contexts and reflects on the challenges of doing so. Zhang, H., Huang, X., Zhou, X., Huang, H., Babar, M.A.: Ethnographic research in software engineering: a critical review and checklist. In: Proceedings ESEC/FSE 2019, Tallinn, Estonia, August 26-30, 2019, pp. 659–670. ACM (2019). As research is progressing, new ethnographic studies are published continuously. This is one recent literature review: Zhang, H., Huang, X., Zhou, X., Huang, H., Babar, M.A.: Ethnographic research in software engineering: a critical review and checklist. In: Proceedings ESEC/FSE 2019, Tallinn, Estonia, August 26-30, 2019, pp. 659–670. ACM (2019). Sharp, H., Dittrich, Y., de Souza, C.R.: The role of ethnographic studies in empirical software engineering. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 42(8), 786–804 (2016) This article is a companion to this chapter. It introduces the role of ethnography in empirical software engineering through a set of ethnographic studies that have been conducted with software engineering as their focus. Sharp, H., Dittrich, Y., de Souza, C.R.: The role of ethnographic studies in empirical software engineering. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 42(8), 786–804 (2016) References References Agar, M.: Independents declared: The dilemmas of independent trucking. Smithsonian Series in Ethnographic Inquiry (1986) Agar, M.H.: The professional stranger: An informal introduction to ethnography. Academic Press, San Diego (1996). DOI papers3: //publication/uuid/96F108B0-0BDC-4D1B-AAF2-BB963B9F08E9. URL http://www.citeulike.org/group/268/article/221525 Begum, M.: On bug resolution: Artefacts, information flow and triage. Master’s thesis, IT University of Copenhagen (2020) Bentley, R., Hughes, J.A., Randall, D., Rodden, T., Sawyer, P., Shapiro, D., Sommerville, I.: Ethnographically-informed systems design for air traffic control. In: Proceedings of the 1992 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work, pp. 123–129 (1992) Blomberg, J., Suchman, L., Trigg, R.H.: Reflections on a work-oriented design project. Human– Computer Interaction 11(3), 237–265 (1996) Capiluppi, A., Fernandez-Ramil, J., Higman, J., Sharp, H., Smith, N.: An empirical study of the evolution of an agile-developed software system. In: 29th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE’07), pp. 511–518. IEEE (2007) Cetina, K.K.: Objectual practice. In: The practice turn in contemporary theory. Routledge (2005) Teaching and Learning Ethnography for Software Engineering Contexts 35 Clarke, V., Braun, V.: Thematic analysis: a practical guide. SAGE Publications Ltd (2022) De Souza, C.R., Redmiles, D., Mark, G., Penix, J., Sierhuis, M.: Management of interdependencies in collaborative software development. In: 2003 International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering, 2003. ISESE 2003. Proceedings., pp. 294–303. IEEE (2003) De Souza, C.R., Redmiles, D.F.: The awareness network, to whom should i display my actions? and, whose actions should i monitor? IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 37(3), 325– 340 (2011) Deshpande, A., Sharp, H., Barroca, L., Gregory, P.: Remote working and collaboration in agile teams. In: P.J. ˚Agerfalk, N. Levina, S.S. Kien (eds.) Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems - Digital Innovation at the Crossroads, ICIS 2016, Dublin, Ireland, December 11-14, 2016. Association for Information Systems (2016). URL http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2016/ManagingIS/Presentations/12 Dingsøyr, T., Bjørnson, F.O., Schrof, J., Sporsem, T.: A longitudinal explanatory case study of coordination in a very large development programme: the impact of transitioning from a first-to a second-generation large-scale agile development method. Empirical Software Engineering 28(1), 1 (2023) Dittrich, Y.: Doing Empirical Research on Software Development: Finding a Path between Understanding, Intervention, and Method Development, pp. 243– The MIT Press (2002). DOI 10.7551/mitpress/6308.003.0016. URL https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/6308.003.0016 Dittrich, Y.: What does it mean to use a method? towards a practice theory for software engineering. Inf. Softw. Technol. 70, 220–231 (2016). DOI 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2015.07.001. URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.07.001 Dittrich, Y., Lindeberg, O.: How use-oriented development can take place. Inf. Softw. Technol. 46(9), 603–617 (2004). DOI 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2003.11.002. URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2003.11.002 Dittrich, Y., Michelsen, C.B., Tell, P., Lous, P., Ebdrup, A.: Exploring the evolution of software practices. In: P. Devanbu, M.B. Cohen, T. Zimmermann (eds.) ESEC/FSE ’20: 28th ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering, Virtual Event, USA, November 8-13, 2020, pp. 493–504. ACM (2020). DOI 10.1145/3368089.3409766. URL https://doi.org/10.1145/3368089.3409766 Dittrich, Y., Ronkk ¨ o, K., Eriksson, J., Hansson, C., Lindeberg, O.: Cooperativ ¨ e method development. Empir. Softw. Eng. 13(3), 231–260 (2008). DOI 10.1007/S10664-007-9057-1. URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s10664-007-9057-1 Edwards, C.: Making paper strips digital (2017). URL https://nats.aero/blog/2017/08/making-paper-strips-digital/. Last accessed: 13. 06. 2024 Engestrom, Y., et al.: Activity theory and individual and social tra ¨ nsformation. Perspectives on activity theory 19(38), 19–30 (1999) Fetterman, D.M.: Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage publications (2010) Fetterman, D.M.: Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage publications (2020) Gearing, R.E.: Bracketing in research: A typology. Qualitative Health Research 14(10), 1429–1452 (2004). DOI 10.1177/1049732304270394. URL https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732304270394. PMID: 15538009 Giuffrida, R.: How social software supports communicative and coordinative practices in global software development. Ph.D. thesis, IT university of Copenhagen (2014) Giuffrida, R., Dittrich, Y.: How social software supports cooperative practices in a globally distributed software project. In: H. Sharp, R. Prikladnicki, A. Begel, C.R.B. de Souza (eds.) Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering, CHASE 2014, Hyderabad, India, June 2-3, 2014, pp. 24–31. ACM (2014). DOI 10.1145/2593702.2593716. URL https://doi.org/10.1145/2593702.2593716 Giuffrida, R., Dittrich, Y.: A conceptual framework to study the role of communication through social software for coordination in globally-distributed software teams. Inf. Softw. Technol. 63, 11–30 (2015). DOI 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2015.02.013. URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.02.013 36 Yvonne Dittrich, Helen Sharp and Cleidson de Souza Hammersley, M., Atkinson, P.: Ethnography: Principles in practice. Routledge (2019) Heath, C., Luff, P.: Collaborative activity and technological design: Task coordination in london underground control rooms. In: L.J. Bannon, M. Robinson, K. Schmidt (eds.) Proceedings of the Second European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 24-27 September 1991, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 65–80. Kluwer (1991). DOI 10.1007/ 978-94-011-3506-1\ 5. URL https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3506-1_5 Herbsleb, J.D., Grinter, R.E.: Splitting the organization and integrating the code: Conway’s law revisited. In: B.W. Boehm, D. Garlan, J. Kramer (eds.) Proceedings of the 1999 International Conference on Software Engineering, ICSE’ 99, Los Angeles, CA, USA, May 16-22, 1999, pp. 85–95. ACM (1999). DOI 10.1145/302405.302455. URL https://doi.org/10.1145/302405.302455 Agar, M.: Independents declared: The dilemmas of independent trucking. Smithsonian Series in Ethnographic Inquiry (1986) Agar, M.H.: The professional stranger: An informal introduction to ethnography. Academic Press, San Diego (1996). DOI papers3: //publication/uuid/96F108B0-0BDC-4D1B-AAF2-BB963B9F08E9. URL http://www.citeulike.org/group/268/article/221525 http://www.citeulike.org/group/268/article/221525 Begum, M.: On bug resolution: Artefacts, information flow and triage. Master’s thesis, IT University of Copenhagen (2020) Bentley, R., Hughes, J.A., Randall, D., Rodden, T., Sawyer, P., Shapiro, D., Sommerville, I.: Ethnographically-informed systems design for air traffic control. In: Proceedings of the 1992 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work, pp. 123–129 (1992) Blomberg, J., Suchman, L., Trigg, R.H.: Reflections on a work-oriented design project. Human– Computer Interaction 11(3), 237–265 (1996) Capiluppi, A., Fernandez-Ramil, J., Higman, J., Sharp, H., Smith, N.: An empirical study of the evolution of an agile-developed software system. In: 29th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE’07), pp. 511–518. IEEE (2007) Cetina, K.K.: Objectual practice. In: The practice turn in contemporary theory. Routledge (2005) Teaching and Learning Ethnography for Software Engineering Contexts 35 Clarke, V., Braun, V.: Thematic analysis: a practical guide. SAGE Publications Ltd (2022) De Souza, C.R., Redmiles, D., Mark, G., Penix, J., Sierhuis, M.: Management of interdependencies in collaborative software development. In: 2003 International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering, 2003. ISESE 2003. Proceedings., pp. 294–303. IEEE (2003) De Souza, C.R., Redmiles, D.F.: The awareness network, to whom should i display my actions? and, whose actions should i monitor? IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 37(3), 325– 340 (2011) Deshpande, A., Sharp, H., Barroca, L., Gregory, P.: Remote working and collaboration in agile teams. In: P.J. ˚Agerfalk, N. Levina, S.S. Kien (eds.) Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems - Digital Innovation at the Crossroads, ICIS 2016, Dublin, Ireland, December 11-14, 2016. Association for Information Systems (2016). URL http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2016/ManagingIS/Presentations/12 http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2016/ManagingIS/Presentations/12 Dingsøyr, T., Bjørnson, F.O., Schrof, J., Sporsem, T.: A longitudinal explanatory case study of coordination in a very large development programme: the impact of transitioning from a first-to a second-generation large-scale agile development method. Empirical Software Engineering 28(1), 1 (2023) Dittrich, Y.: Doing Empirical Research on Software Development: Finding a Path between Understanding, Intervention, and Method Development, pp. 243– The MIT Press (2002). DOI 10.7551/mitpress/6308.003.0016. URL https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/6308.003.0016 https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/6308.003.0016 Dittrich, Y.: What does it mean to use a method? towards a practice theory for software engineering. Inf. Softw. Technol. 70, 220–231 (2016). DOI 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2015.07.001. URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.07.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.07.001 Dittrich, Y., Lindeberg, O.: How use-oriented development can take place. Inf. Softw. Technol. 46(9), 603–617 (2004). DOI 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2003.11.002. URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2003.11.002 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2003.11.002 Dittrich, Y., Michelsen, C.B., Tell, P., Lous, P., Ebdrup, A.: Exploring the evolution of software practices. In: P. Devanbu, M.B. Cohen, T. Zimmermann (eds.) ESEC/FSE ’20: 28th ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering, Virtual Event, USA, November 8-13, 2020, pp. 493–504. ACM (2020). DOI 10.1145/3368089.3409766. URL https://doi.org/10.1145/3368089.3409766 https://doi.org/10.1145/3368089.3409766 Dittrich, Y., Ronkk ¨ o, K., Eriksson, J., Hansson, C., Lindeberg, O.: Cooperativ ¨ e method development. Empir. Softw. Eng. 13(3), 231–260 (2008). DOI 10.1007/S10664-007-9057-1. URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s10664-007-9057-1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10664-007-9057-1 Edwards, C.: Making paper strips digital (2017). URL https://nats.aero/blog/2017/08/making-paper-strips-digital/. Last accessed: 13. 06. 2024 https://nats.aero/blog/2017/08/making-paper-strips-digital/ Engestrom, Y., et al.: Activity theory and individual and social tra ¨ nsformation. Perspectives on activity theory 19(38), 19–30 (1999) Fetterman, D.M.: Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage publications (2010) Fetterman, D.M.: Ethnography: Step-by-step. Sage publications (2020) Gearing, R.E.: Bracketing in research: A typology. Qualitative Health Research 14(10), 1429–1452 (2004). DOI 10.1177/1049732304270394. URL https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732304270394. PMID: 15538009 https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732304270394 Giuffrida, R.: How social software supports communicative and coordinative practices in global software development. Ph.D. thesis, IT university of Copenhagen (2014) Giuffrida, R., Dittrich, Y.: How social software supports cooperative practices in a globally distributed software project. In: H. Sharp, R. Prikladnicki, A. Begel, C.R.B. de Souza (eds.) Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering, CHASE 2014, Hyderabad, India, June 2-3, 2014, pp. 24–31. ACM (2014). DOI 10.1145/2593702.2593716. URL https://doi.org/10.1145/2593702.2593716 https://doi.org/10.1145/2593702.2593716 Giuffrida, R., Dittrich, Y.: A conceptual framework to study the role of communication through social software for coordination in globally-distributed software teams. Inf. Softw. Technol. 63, 11–30 (2015). DOI 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2015.02.013. URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.02.013 36 Yvonne Dittrich, Helen Sharp and Cleidson de Souza https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.02.013 Hammersley, M., Atkinson, P.: Ethnography: Principles in practice. Routledge (2019) Heath, C., Luff, P.: Collaborative activity and technological design: Task coordination in london underground control rooms. In: L.J. Bannon, M. Robinson, K. Schmidt (eds.) Proceedings of the Second European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 24-27 September 1991, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 65–80. Kluwer (1991). DOI 10.1007/ 978-94-011-3506-1\ 5. 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