An ethnographic introduction

A Simple Introduction to the Practice of Ethnography and Guide to Ethnographic Fieldnotes
By Brian A. Hoey, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology, Marshall University
Marshall University Digital Scholar (June 2014): 1-10

Abstract
In this article, I will provide a simple introduction to the practice of ethnographic fieldwork and practical advice for writing fieldnotes. Ethnographic approaches, while born of the work conducted by anthropologists over one hundred years ago, are increasingly employed by researchers and others from a variety of backgrounds and for a multitude of purposes from the academic to the applied and even commercial. I will provide an introduction intended for those persons new to the approach but who have already had some basic experience or training. I also provide a discussion of the centrality of fieldnotes to the conduct of this very personally engaging form of research. Finally, those in training are given lists of questions to ask and points to consider in the conduct of their ethnographic fieldwork projects.