Ethnography study and information collection

Ethnography is the study of a people or community by staying among them and observing their way of life, so that their culture, beliefs, social relations and problems are understood from the insider's view. It is mainly qualitative and is used before planning community projects.

How information is collected

1. Entry and rapport building – the researcher introduces the purpose, meets local leaders and gains the trust of people.
2. Participant observation – takes part in daily work, rituals and meetings and notes what people actually do.
3. Key informant interviews – talks with elders, teachers, ward members, priests or healers who know the community well.
4. In-depth and informal interviews – open, flexible conversations with ordinary households.
5. Focus group discussion – small groups discuss a shared issue such as water supply or migration.
6. Participatory tools – social and resource mapping, transect walk, seasonal calendar, wealth ranking.
7. Recording – field notes, diaries, photos, audio, sketches and local documents.
8. Analysis and validation – information is grouped into themes and checked by triangulation (comparing several sources) and by sharing findings back with the community.

Example: before building a micro-hydro plant, an engineer may stay in the village for some weeks to learn how people use water mills, who owns land near the river, and how decisions are made.