I found Murchison chapters 2 and 3 really helpful for considering research questions and methods as we embark on our own ethnographies this semester and beyond. I especially found the research question section helpful (38), because I often wonder about how to navigate the transition from descriptive or “exploratory” research into analytical research. I’m starting to think about my research questions for my dissertation, so this was helpful by way of thinking about where to begin. I also like the reminder that your questions will evolve and to not worry as much about a hypothesis at first, as that may actually limit the kind of information you take in. With grant writing, though, it is essential to have some kind of hypothesis in mind, as they do note on page 40. I find myself sometimes falling into the hypothesis mode–wanting to control my questions and outcomes from the start, and I want to practice leaving that open, especially during preliminary research.
While I think it’s a good idea to consider and engage in research using multimedia forms, I’m not sure maps and charts are the most effective for me (44). I personally would like to experiment more with art, sounds, and music to capture different aspects of life and ideas. During my prior field research, I started recording different moments of sounds–community soccer games, birds chirping in the morning, the singsong of the garbage truck (yes, the garbage trucks played music), and the sound of the gravel crunching underneath my feet as I walked to the bus stop. I’d like to figure out how to incorporate “soundscapes” into my research and more analytical questions going forward.
One thing I’m thinking about ethically is how to make sure that people know you’re in the observer/researcher role in large, public spaces. While it’s easy to make this known in small group settings or for interviews, I wonder how feasible that is when attending a large community event, festival, or rally. While I understand that ethically, these events are public, I still struggle with the idea that I may be observing something private. Another ethical concern in my research is that I often interview people who are not literate, so obtaining a signature does not make sense, and in some cases, signing forms has been associated with coercion (like forced sterilization after women “signed” forms from the government that they did not read nor understand). I want to make sure that I’m able to convey my research goals and interests and obtain consent, without scaring anyone away from participating. How to walk that line is one question I’d like to explore more.