Ethnography Enabled

Ethnography is a qualitative methodology which helps the researcher generate descriptions of people in their natural environment, with a focus on routine activities and customs in that culture. In healthcare settings ethnography is often about researchers gathering data through methods such observation and the questioning of participants. Ethnographers often spend large amounts of time in the field and emerge themselves in their research. Ethnographic research has the potential to produce a host of rich data. Despite its importance and long tradition in research, ethnography is a methodology which is often under-utilised in nursing and healthcare research.
This fringe event is aimed at nursing and health care researchers who are interested in using an ethnographic approach to answer their research questions. Delegates will learn about the origins and evolution of ethnography, the ways in which field data can
be collected, practical tips about applying for ethical approval, the difference between emic/etic perspectives, the importance of the researcher and reflexivity, limitations and opposition to ethnography and illustrations of successful ethnographic studies which have been carried out in nursing and health care research.