copyright 2011 wolters kluwer health | lippincott williams wilkins chapter 10 ethnography in...

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Chapter 10Ethnography in Practice,

Education, and Administration


Guidelines: Critiquing Ethnographic Research• Focus• Method• Sampling• Data collection• Data analysis• Rigor• Findings • Conclusions


“The culture of a Taiwanese nursing home” (Chuang, Abbey, 2009)

• Focus: describe culture of nursing home life • Method: inference to ethnography• Informants: purposive sample• Data collection: interview, participant

observation, document examination


“The culture of a Taiwanese nursing home” (Chuang, Abbey, 2009) (cont.)

• Data analysis: transcripts and field notes via computer program

• Rigor: time in field, use of multiple data collection methods

• Findings: three major themes• Conclusions: potential to inform nursing

practice


Question

Tell whether the following statement is True or False:

• In the study about the Taiwanese nursing home, the researchers demonstrated rigor by using a specific data analysis program.


Answer

False.Rigor is demonstrated by the researcher

maintaining his or her objectivity, documenting the authenticity of the data, and having the informants play a role in validating the findings. Additionally, time in the field and the use of multiple data-collection methods help support rigor.


“Learning how we learn: An ethnographic study in neonatal intensive care unit” (Hunter et al., 2008)• Focus: aim clearly specified• Method: on-site data collection; two different

consent forms• Sampling• Data collection: in-depth interviews,

observations


“Learning how we learn: An ethnographic study in neonatal intensive care unit” (Hunter et al., 2008) (cont.)• Data analysis/rigor• Findings/conclusions: four major dimensions• Written report: “telling the story”


Question

Tell whether the following statement is True or False:

• In the study by Hunter et al., 2008, the key informants and the selection process were clearly described.


Answer

False. Although the assumption can be made that the

appropriate individuals participated in the study by Hunter et al., the researchers did not identify who the key informants were and how they were selected.


“Beyond profession: Nursing leadership in contemporary healthcare” (Sorensen et al., 2008)

• Focus: part of a large 3-year study• Method: in the field; no report of how human

rights protected or consent obtained• Data collection: focus groups, interviews• Data analysis: constant comparative method


“Beyond profession: Nursing leadership in contemporary healthcare” (Sorensen et al., 2008) (cont.)

• Rigor: time in field, multiple data-collection strategies

• Findings: three major units; final themes• Conclusions: findings within context of what

is already known


Question

Which of the following best describes the ethnographic study by Sorensen et al.?

A.It clearly presents a large multi-year study.B.The research takes place in the field.C.Rigor is specifically described and explained.D.One data-collection strategy was used.


Answer

B. The research by Sorensen et al. occurred in

the field. However, the research involves only a part of a larger three-year study. There is no explicit description of rigor, and multiple data-collection strategies such as focus groups and interviews were used.


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copyright 2011 wolters kluwer health | lippincott williams wilkins chapter 10 ethnography in...

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