ANTH 2351 - Brown  

Here are some resources that can help you get started with your ethnography.

Ethnography is the primary strategy anthropologists use to learn about modern day societies and cultures.  Ethnography usually involves background research (reading books, articles, etc.) and field work (interviewing and observing).  Some anthropologists completely immerse themselves by living among the population he or she is studying.  Completing an ethnographic study will help you learn about a specific population as well as about the kind of work that anthropologists do.

With the research you conduct for this type of assignment you are showing your instructor that not only can you find, evaluate and understand information, but also that you know enough about a specific topic to complete an ethnography.  Your final product will show that you have a broad understanding of your topic, as well as the ability to think critically about the topic, skills that are vital for professional and personal success.  For this reason, you will want to use a variety of sources.  You’ll need sources that provide broad, overview information and sources that focus on a single aspect or issue of your topic.

Image Source: "Interview on Street" by Karin Muller from www.sxc.hu

1. Select a topic.
2. Brainstorm search terms.
3. Find background information about your topic in an Encyclopedia.
4. Find a book to broaden your knowledge on the topic.
5. Get more focused information from a periodical article.
6. Find recent developments about your topic in websites.
7. Avoid Plagiarism! Cite your sources.