The Ethnographer's Way: A Handbook for Multidimensional Research Design

by Kristin Peterson, Valerie Olson

The Ethnographer’s Way guides researchers through the exciting process of turning an initial idea into an in-depth research project. Kristin Peterson and Valerie Olson introduce “multidimensioning,” a method for planning projects that invites scholars to examine their research interests from all angles. Researchers learn to integrate seemingly disparate groups, processes, sites, and things into a unified conceptual framework. The handbook’s ten modules walk readers step-by-step, from the initial lightbulb moment to constructing research descriptions, planning data gathering, writing grant and dissertation proposals, and preparing for fieldwork. Designed for ethnographers and those working across disciplines, these modules provide examples of multidimensional research projects with exercises readers can utilize to formulate their own projects. The authors incorporate group work into each module to break the isolation common in academic project design. In so doing, Peterson and Olson’s handbook provides essential support and guidance for researchers working at all levels and stages of a project.

Genres: Anthropology, Academia

376 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2024

About the author

Kristin Peterson is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine.

Reviews

[Maia Fansten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on extensive experience and deep reflection, this book is a highly insightful guide that opens up multiple and incredibly rich perspectives. We are a group of French researchers and have been working with this manual as a project companion for several months now. The tools proposed enable us to implement a truly collaborative approach and to discover completely new, inspiring and creative research methods. This is a great help to us in our own individual research, as well as in our supervision of theses and PhD projects. It is a powerful resource for bringing groups together in a spirit of sharing and support, while offering highly structured, challenging, and joyful methods for designing research projects.
We are very grateful to the authors!