Jean J. Schensul is adjunct professor of public health and research scientist of anthropology at UCONN and former director of the Institute for Community Research. She plays a national role in promoting community-initiated research partnerships with universities, building community research capacity and mentoring diverse young scholars to conduct community based participatory research.Margaret D. LeCompte is professor emerita of education and sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is internationally known as one of the leading proponents of qualitative and ethnographic research and evaluation in education.

The third edition of Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research: An Introduction is an invaluable resource for researchers and their partners interested in using ethnographic methods to find solutions to complex problems in different settings. In addition, to discussing the advantages of ethnographic fieldwork in research and evaluation, the authors review specific methods, ethics of fieldwork, research design, data collection and analysis, and conducting interdisciplinary ethnographic research. New additions to the volume include discussions about the decolonization of research and conducting ethnographic studies of AI and other digital technologies. This is an excellent resource for new and seasoned researchers and their partners in the community, government, and industry.

• Chapter 1: What is EthnographyIntroducing and defining ethnography The value of ethnography: why ethnographic researchThe characteristics of ethnographyEthnography is informed by the concept of culture in contextA note on the historical evolution of ethnography as an approach to science: from researcher-led and represented to collaborative and community-ledTransforming ethnographic research into action through diverse approaches to change Responding to critiques about how cultural politics affect ethnographers’ practice, identity and research SummaryChapter 2. The ethics of ethnographic field research What are ethics?What are social science research ethics? A brief historical reviewNegotiating identity, positionality, and power: intersectionality in ethnographic research The basic ethical principles governing conduct of research with human beings The Belmont principles: justice, beneficence and respect for personsVoluntarism, informed consent, risks and benefits, vulnerable subjects and sensitive topicsDisciplinary and professional codes of ethicsInstitutional review boards (irbs) and how ethnographers can work with themSpecial ethical concerns in site-based ethnographic research SummaryChapter 3: Using theory to frame the conduct of ethnographic researchIntroductionMultiple perspectives: how ethnographers frame cultural researchWhat are research paradigmsA paradigmatic synthesisBeyond grounded theory: local theoretical models What are midrange theoriesSummaryChapter 4: an overview of research designIntroduction: research design: a blueprint for actionResearch designs in social science researchQualitative designsQuantitative designsIntegrating quantitative and experimental with qualitative and multiple methods research designs Chapter 5. Choosing and designing an ethnographic research projectIntroductionWhere do research questions come from? Deciding what to investigate: transforming research purposes into the elements of a research designPutting together the elements of a research designElaborating research questionsThe processes of operationalization and research modelingConceptualizing research models and conceptual modelingIdentifying populations and study sitesStrategies for selection of systematic sampling units for studySummaryChapter 6. Collecting ethnographic dataTechniques for collecting multiple types of dataResources and logistics: how ethnographers allocate time, money, and staffCreating planning documents and timelinesChapter 7. Data analysis: how ethnographers make sense of their dataIntroductionAnalysis as both a cognitive process and a technical procedureWhen does data analysis begin and how does it unfold?“chunking” data into large conceptual categories or “bins”Defining terms: operational and conceptual levels of analysisFinding initial themes or regularitiesThe item level of analysis: isolating empirical “bits” from streams of dataThe pattern level of analysis: aggregating groups of itemsThe structural level of analysis: assembling multiple patterns into structures informed by domainsSeeking complex relationships across domains and structures by using multiple levels and sources of dataInterpreting results: figuring out what the story meansLevels of theorySummaryChapter 8: Working together and across disciplinesIntroductionLearning research teamwork by joining or participating in a research team Partnering in ethnographic research across disciplines, sectors and communitiesBuilding and conducting ethnographic team researchCollecting data with a research teamBuilding transdisciplinary community research partnershipsChallenges and rewards in ethnographic teamwork and interdisciplinary intersectoral partnershipsSummaryChapter 9: Applying ethnography to solveproblems and address inequitiesIntroduction to applying ethnography to solve social problemsProducts of ethnographic researchInforming public audiences: disseminationDeveloping interventionsImproving quantitative instrumentsInfluencing teacher/educator practiceDemocratizing ethnography through participatory action researchImproving process and outcome evaluationsInfluencing policySupporting advocacyContributing to scienceChapter 10. Evolving Frontiers in EthnographyIntroductionEthnography, technology and artificial intelligenceConducting digital (internet) ethnographyIntegrating art into the conduct and dissemination of ethnographic research Summary

Jean J. Schensul is adjunct professor of public health and research scientist of anthropology at UCONN and former director of the Institute for Community Research. She plays a national role in promoting community-initiated research partnerships with universities, building community research capacity and mentoring diverse young scholars to conduct community based participatory research.Margaret D. LeCompte is professor emerita of education and sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is internationally known as one of the leading proponents of qualitative and ethnographic research and evaluation in education.

The third edition of Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research: An Introduction is an invaluable resource for researchers and their partners interested in using ethnographic methods to find solutions to complex problems in different settings. In addition, to discussing the advantages of ethnographic fieldwork in research and evaluation, the authors review specific methods, ethics of fieldwork, research design, data collection and analysis, and conducting interdisciplinary ethnographic research. New additions to the volume include discussions about the decolonization of research and conducting ethnographic studies of AI and other digital technologies. This is an excellent resource for new and seasoned researchers and their partners in the community, government, and industry.

• Chapter 1: What is EthnographyIntroducing and defining ethnography The value of ethnography: why ethnographic researchThe characteristics of ethnographyEthnography is informed by the concept of culture in contextA note on the historical evolution of ethnography as an approach to science: from researcher-led and represented to collaborative and community-ledTransforming ethnographic research into action through diverse approaches to change Responding to critiques about how cultural politics affect ethnographers’ practice, identity and research SummaryChapter 2. The ethics of ethnographic field research What are ethics?What are social science research ethics? A brief historical reviewNegotiating identity, positionality, and power: intersectionality in ethnographic research The basic ethical principles governing conduct of research with human beings The Belmont principles: justice, beneficence and respect for personsVoluntarism, informed consent, risks and benefits, vulnerable subjects and sensitive topicsDisciplinary and professional codes of ethicsInstitutional review boards (irbs) and how ethnographers can work with themSpecial ethical concerns in site-based ethnographic research SummaryChapter 3: Using theory to frame the conduct of ethnographic researchIntroductionMultiple perspectives: how ethnographers frame cultural researchWhat are research paradigmsA paradigmatic synthesisBeyond grounded theory: local theoretical models What are midrange theoriesSummaryChapter 4: an overview of research designIntroduction: research design: a blueprint for actionResearch designs in social science researchQualitative designsQuantitative designsIntegrating quantitative and experimental with qualitative and multiple methods research designs Chapter 5. Choosing and designing an ethnographic research projectIntroductionWhere do research questions come from? Deciding what to investigate: transforming research purposes into the elements of a research designPutting together the elements of a research designElaborating research questionsThe processes of operationalization and research modelingConceptualizing research models and conceptual modelingIdentifying populations and study sitesStrategies for selection of systematic sampling units for studySummaryChapter 6. Collecting ethnographic dataTechniques for collecting multiple types of dataResources and logistics: how ethnographers allocate time, money, and staffCreating planning documents and timelinesChapter 7. Data analysis: how ethnographers make sense of their dataIntroductionAnalysis as both a cognitive process and a technical procedureWhen does data analysis begin and how does it unfold?“chunking” data into large conceptual categories or “bins”Defining terms: operational and conceptual levels of analysisFinding initial themes or regularitiesThe item level of analysis: isolating empirical “bits” from streams of dataThe pattern level of analysis: aggregating groups of itemsThe structural level of analysis: assembling multiple patterns into structures informed by domainsSeeking complex relationships across domains and structures by using multiple levels and sources of dataInterpreting results: figuring out what the story meansLevels of theorySummaryChapter 8: Working together and across disciplinesIntroductionLearning research teamwork by joining or participating in a research team Partnering in ethnographic research across disciplines, sectors and communitiesBuilding and conducting ethnographic team researchCollecting data with a research teamBuilding transdisciplinary community research partnershipsChallenges and rewards in ethnographic teamwork and interdisciplinary intersectoral partnershipsSummaryChapter 9: Applying ethnography to solveproblems and address inequitiesIntroduction to applying ethnography to solve social problemsProducts of ethnographic researchInforming public audiences: disseminationDeveloping interventionsImproving quantitative instrumentsInfluencing teacher/educator practiceDemocratizing ethnography through participatory action researchImproving process and outcome evaluationsInfluencing policySupporting advocacyContributing to scienceChapter 10. Evolving Frontiers in EthnographyIntroductionEthnography, technology and artificial intelligenceConducting digital (internet) ethnographyIntegrating art into the conduct and dissemination of ethnographic research Summary