Super-charging ethnography using mobile technology

Mark Michelson Siamack Salari

Around the World in 14 Days!

The Challenge

• Gain first hand experience using mobile ethnography tool.– On an ongoing basis, capture experiences during travel around the

world– Explore social and cultural influences on how people shop and travel,

what they buy and how they consume

Our Approach

• Unstructured observations = “Wild Apples”• Naturally occurring vs. in the moment• Mobile Ethnography using EthOS iPhone App– Video, Photo, Audio, Notes, Bar Code Reader

Seeds from the Field

• Capture the mundane as well as the interesting – You never know what might be interesting later on– Question what is captured as well as what is not captured– Remembering to use the device is challenging

Seeds From the Field

• Context is critical – a picture may only be worth a few words – and interpretation can be quite creative.

Title entries appropriately, tag each entry with notes, categorize into themes

Seeds From the Field

• People using mobile devices are largely ignored– Because mobile phones are everywhere, people don’t pay attention

when you take a video – unless you make it obvious

Seeds From the Field

• Hold mobile device steady when taking video– Avoid motion sickness - Don’t ruin a great moment

Seeds From the Field

• Signals aren’t always available for connecting to the web – Storing captured data on device is necessary – especially in

remote areas or on a plane

Breaking our own rules

Participant Observation• Capture naturally occurring

events• No disruption caused by asking

questions at the point of capture• No knowledge of study

objectives so minimal performances

• Performances eliminated by researchers

• Minimal risk of respondent fatigue

Mobile Auto Ethnography• Respondent self edits – need

to question ‘naturally occurring’

• Instant rationalisation needed/given with most entries

• Hi risk of performances especially when trying to maintain entry numbers

• Respondents will get tired of showing you things (my diet)

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Processes of analysis

Ordering, reducing

Looking for clusters and patterns

Priming for insights about what structures we might build

Joanna Chrzanowska

Interpretation aims to construct a narrative to make sense of the whole

11Joanna Chrzanowska

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Linking analysis and interpretation

Finding and organising what you have to build with

Planning and creating a useful & cohesive structure

What blocks you have affect the solidity of the structures you can create

As you start on a structure you look for the blocks you need

Joanna Chrzanowska

Key Ethnography filters

• Difference between what is said and done• What people nearly do or don’t do• Rituals and routines• Naturally occurring events and happenings• Naturally occurring language and vocabulary• Codes, rules and systems which govern all

sorts of behaviours

The Real World

Join us and help shape the future of mobile marketing research

together!

General Assembly20 April 2012, Amsterdam

For more info and to join please

visit: www.mmra-global.org