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How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education Book Cover
How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education, 5/e
Jack R. Fraenkel, San Francisco State University
Norman E. Wallen, San Francisco State University

Ethnographic Research


Contextualization   Placing information/data into a larger perspective, especially in ethnography.
Crystallization   Occasions, especially in ethnography, when different kinds of data 'fall in place' to make a coherent picture.
Culture   The sum of a social group's observable patterns of behavior and/or their customs, beliefs and knowledge.
Descriptive field notes   Notes that describe what the researcher has observed.
Emic perspective   The view of reality of a cultural 'insider'; especially in ethnography.
Ethnographic research   The collection of data on many variables over an extended period of time in a naturalistic setting, usually using observation and interviews.
Ethnography   The collection of data on many variables over an extended period of time in a naturalistic setting, usually using observation and interviews.
Etic perspective   The 'outsider' or 'objective' view of a culture's reality, especially in ethnography.
Field diary   A personal statement of a researcher's opinions about people and events he or she comes in contact with during research.
Field jottings   Quick notes taken by an ethnographer.
Field log   A running account of how an ethnographer plans to, and actually does, spend his or her time in the field.
Field notes   The notes researchers take about what they observe and think about in the field.
Holistic perspective   The attempt to incorporate all aspects of a culture into an ethnographic interpretation.
Member checking   Participants in a qualitative study are asked to check the accuracy of the research report.
Participant observation   Observation in which the observer actually becomes a participant in the situation to be observed.
Reflective field notes   A record of the observer's thoughts and reflections during and after observation.
Thick description   In ethnography, the provision of great detail on the basic data/information.
Triangulation   Cross-checking of data using multiple data sources or multiple data-collection procedures.