Content Strategy from Scientific Angle

How Writers Can Use Ethnographic Research to Create Original and Valuable Content

Used in both professional and personal pursuits, ethnography is a valuable tool to integrate into writing practice for generating authentic and unique content.

As a scientist, I use various methodologies to investigate subjects within my field, forming knowledge by connecting my hypotheses with observations, interviews, and life experiences. Among these methodologies, one holds a special place in my heart — ethnography. In this story, I will explain the reasons behind this deep affinity.

As a technology practitioner and academician, I’ve undertaken numerous ethnographic research projects. Yet, one is profoundly impactful — an eight-year journey into the inner workings of two tech behemoths, IBM and Siemens, starting as an ethnographic researcher in 1995. In addition, I worked as a technology consultant for both organizations.

This particular ethnographic exploration focused on understanding the cognitive patterns of technical workers and leaders. The findings, culminating in my curiosity and dedication, were published as a formal dissertation by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in 2003 with subsequent peer-reviewed papers.

Notably, this endeavor garnered financial support from a Federal government scholarship fund for my efforts, recognizing its contribution as an original and pioneering research initiative shaping the body of knowledge with ethical clearance from academia, removing the conflict of interest from organizations and other stakeholders.

This eight-year pioneering ethnographic research endeavor opened a unique window into the intricate cognitive patterns of technical employees and technology leaders, which were unknown before as there was no literature on the topic and organizations acted blindly.

For example, the insights from this ethnographic exploration enabled me to craft policy documents and organizational guidelines for further education geared towards empowering their learning and supporting their professional development goals.

The subsequent implementation of these policies resulted in substantial gains for numerous large technology companies.

Why I Wrote This Important Story

Readers often inquire about the distinctive nature of my stories, marked by surprising perspectives absent from mainstream content platforms like Google search, Wikipedia, or other public domain platforms. They said they never heard about the concept or the approach I introduced.

Steering clear of controversial or sensational topics, the uniqueness of my content frequently catches readers off guard, providing nuanced insights not readily available in stories covering similar subjects on writing platforms or blogging sites.

Surprising my inquisitive subscribers, my response typically centers on two key elements. The first involves the application of Design Thinking, a concept I introduced in a previous story titled How Writers Can Attract More Readers by Using Design Thinking Principles.

The second and equally pivotal is using ethnographic research methodology for developing my content.

Now, you might wonder about ethnographic research, its essence, and how it relates to content development, writers, authors, or bloggers.

I will briefly explain it based on my own experiences and provide some guidance to writers to use ethnographic research in their writing journey to create authentic, valuable, and desirable content for their readers.

A Brief Overview of Ethnographic Research Methodology

Ethnographic research involves immersing the researcher in the environment of the subjects being studied. This means living among them, observing their cultures and activities, talking with them, and participating while standing as an observant and record keeper.

For example researchers using an ethnographic research method might take detailed field notes, conduct interviews, collect artifacts, create case studies, triangulate them, and validate findings with other sources like prior knowledge in the literature.

Ethnography aims to provide a deep understanding of a particular culture, group, or organization. It goes beyond statistics and surveys to capture the nuances of daily life, behaviors, and social interactions.

The findings of ethnographic research can have wide-ranging implications. They can inform policy decisions, product designs, and social interventions. The impact lies in the rich, contextual insights gained in an ethnographic setting.

For example, understanding how a community uses technology could lead to more effective and culturally sensitive tech solutions.

In essence, ethnographic research is like becoming a temporary member of the group we study as an observer and observant.

It’s about getting close to people, listening to their concerns without judgment, and seeing the world through their eyes to uncover insights that might be missed through other research methods. Therefore, ethnography is my favorite method.

For example, researchers spend time in a workplace to analyze organizational culture as I did in the 1990s. Anthropologists live with a remote tribe to understand their customs. A marketing team embedding with a target audience to develop more relatable campaigns.

From use case perspectives, businesses can understand consumer behavior in a specific market. Educators can study the dynamics of a classroom for effective teaching strategies. Health professionals can investigate the health practices of a community for targeted healthcare programs.

I always used cultural relativism theory, which asserts that a culture must be understood on its terms and not judged by the standards of another. Cultural relativism is used for universal human rights.

I also use the participant observation method in grounded theory. This allows me to collect data that reveals the reality of daily life in a specific context.

In grounded theory, interviews are the primary method of collecting data, but the observation method gives a distinctive insight, revealing what people are really doing instead of what they say they are doing.

According to these theories for academic research, researchers actively participate in the activities of the groups, cultures, or organizations they study and build verifiable knowledge for consumption by society.

From a benefits angle, ethnographic research provides a holistic understanding of a cultural context. Unlike other research methods, contextual relevance from ethnographic research is invaluable because findings are often more relevant to real-life situations.

Ethnographic research, of course, has its challenges, such as the researcher's subjectivity and its time-consuming nature. Researchers’ own biases can influence observations. Therefore, ethical clearance is essential.

From my experience, ethnography can be a lengthy process due to the need for prolonged engagement until a phenomenon is fully understood, adequately documented, and properly validated.

After this background, I’d like to give some ideas on how writers can use ethnographic research to write original content and delight their readers.

How Writers Can Benefit from Ethnographic Research

As a writer using ethnographic research, you can immerse yourself in the communities, cultures, environments, or organizations relevant to your writing as I did. Many journalists also use this method.

An ethnographic research involves direct observation, participation, and regular interaction with the subjects of your work. You can gather details, anecdotes, stories, and experiences to enrich your writing.

Ethnography can help writers infuse authenticity into their work by drawing from real-life experiences and perspectives. The impact is creating vivid and nuanced descriptions that resonate with readers.

Ethnographic research can help writers avoid cultural misrepresentations or stereotypes. The insights gained from the environment can lead to more engaging and relatable narratives.

For example, fiction writers live in a community to accurately portray their daily lives. Travel writers can spend time in a destination to capture its essence authentically and transfer their knowledge to their readers.

Here is a sample travel story I wrote when being as an ethnographic researcher in Singapore.

Ethnography provides a deep understanding of cultural nuances for writers. Writing based on real experiences adds realism to the narrative.

This method might not suit writers in a hurry to produce, impatient with others, or after quick gains because immersing yourself in a culture or community can be time-consuming or costly.

An ethnographic method for writers can also disadvantage readers if it is not conducted within ethical boundaries. For example, the writer’s biases and interpretations may influence the storytelling and might give undesirable impressions to readers.

However, subjectivity might be a pro or con, depending on the writer’s goal and approach and readers' expectations of authentic content, no matter how brutal or painful unfiltered content could be.

Some Practical Tips for Writers

Immerse yourself patiently by spending significant time in the environment you want to write about. It would be best if you were passionate about the topic and the environment.

Build meaningful relationships by connecting with people to gain trust and access authentic experiences and stories.

Keep a daily journal with descriptive text. You may document your observations, conversations, and reflections in a draft, which can be edited later. Take photos or recored videos to enrich your content.

Validate your findings by cross-referenceing your findings and insights with other sources to ensure accuracy.

Maintain objectivity rather than becoming emotionally attached to your subject or the environment, potentially compromising impartiality.

As accessing some cultures or communities may be challenging, you may leverage your connections with others to help you with accessibility. Therefore, collaboration is essential.

Conclusions

In conclusion, ethnographic research is a formidable instrument for writers, offering a transformative approach to storytelling infused with authenticity and uniqueness.

This methodology empowers writers to weave narratives that deeply resonate with readers, tapping into the wellspring of rich real-life experiences and cultural nuances.

When conducted diligently, access to unfiltered information becomes a precious commodity for readers, lending an invaluable depth to the content.

It’s worth noting that the significance of such content extends beyond the literary realm. For example, some clients find it so impactful that they are willing to invest substantially for insights that inform their policies.

Using ethnographic research, therefore, enriches storytelling, serves as a bridge between narrative artistry and informed decision-making, and brings financial benefits to writers and their clients.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. Some topics I cover are brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, and humor.

I contribute to multiple publications but keep my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.

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