---
title: "Ethnography study and information collection"
subject: "Technology, Environment and Society"
chapter: 2
key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:ethnography-information-collection"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/ethnography-information-collection
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Ethnography study and information collection

Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 2: Development Approach

- Asked in: 2075 Chaitra, 4 marks
- Video: [Ethnography: Entering the Field](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIWHfmLiLtE) — E-Learning Qualitative Methods
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/ethnography-information-collection
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-2

## Question

What is Ethnography study? Explain how information is collected in this approach.

## Short answer

Ethnography studies a community by living among it and seeing life from within. Information is collected through rapport building, participant observation, key informant and informal interviews, focus groups, participatory mapping tools, field notes and triangulation with the community to validate findings.

## Answer

**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.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Which best describes ethnography?
   A. Studying a community by staying among them and observing their way of life to understand it from the insider's view
   B. A statistical survey of a large random sample using fixed questions
   C. A laboratory experiment on human behaviour
   D. A study of ancient tools and artefacts
   Answer: A. Ethnography is mainly qualitative: the researcher lives with the people and understands their culture from the insider's view. (Key point: Meaning of ethnography)

2. What does participant observation involve?
   A. Watching the community only from a distance with a camera
   B. Handing out questionnaires to every household
   C. Taking part in daily work, rituals and meetings and noting what people actually do
   D. Interviewing only government officials
   Answer: C. The researcher joins in daily life and records actual behaviour, not only what people say. (Key point: Participant observation)

3. How is information from an ethnographic study checked for validity?
   A. By repeating the same question many times to one person
   B. By comparing several sources (triangulation) and sharing findings back with the community
   C. By asking the project engineer to approve it
   D. By converting all answers into numbers
   Answer: B. Triangulation compares several sources, and feedback to the community confirms the findings. (Key point: Triangulation and validation)

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