Designing the Interview and Visual Ethnography

Ethnography is the study of people and their interactions in their environment. This course teaches you about various qualitative research methods used in this field by taking you through a step-by-step approach to help you design an effective study interview. Visual ethnography, which combines the theory and practice of visual perspectives, will also be covered.

At first, the different forms and specific features of interviews that can be used in ethnographic studies will be considered. Importantly, you will learn how to structure interviews so that you, as the researcher, can steer the main discussion, gaining essential information to help with the research question. You will also be taught that in doing these interviews, the researcher needs to make the participant feel at ease and comfortable with the process.

Following on from this, you will be taught about the methodologies of visual ethnography, as well as the importance of reflexivity in researching film, photography and digital media. Reflexivity is a process where both the researcher’s and the participants’ beliefs, judgments and practices are examined. This course will benefit anyone in the ethnographic development and research field.