Ethnographic Fieldwork and Writing for Tech and Society

Understanding how humans interact with technology requires looking beyond numbers and metrics to see real-world behavior in context. Ethnography offers a powerful qualitative toolkit to study laboratories, tech companies, and digital environments from an anthropological perspective. This text-only course guides you through the foundational concepts and practical steps of designing, conducting, and writing up ethnographic research, preparing you to analyze complex social dynamics in science and technology settings. What you will learn: Understand the fundamental principles of anthropological inquiry and qualitative research design; Formulate research questions tailored for science, technology, and society contexts; Practice observational techniques, field note-taking, and conducting qualitative interviews; Navigate ethical considerations, participant consent, and researcher positionality in modern field sites; Analyze collected field data to identify cultural patterns, social structures, and user behaviors; Write compelling ethnographic narratives that translate complex observations into clear insights. You will start with core theoretical frameworks before moving step-by-step through site selection, fieldwork practice, and the final writing process. The written exercises will help you apply these methods to local or digital environments of your choice. This course is designed for beginners interested in qualitative research, anthropology, user experience research, or technology studies, with no prior fieldwork experience required. Begin your journey into qualitative research and learn to uncover the human stories behind modern technology.