Developing Interpretations and Analysis in Ethnographic Research:
Coming to Conclusions in Ethnography
Jeff Ludwig

Before Class: Students have come to class having read Patrick McQuillan’s “A Day in the Life of Rafael Jackson” (available in Writing in the Disciplines, 5th Ed., Kennedy, Kennedy, and Smith, Pearson, 2004). In addition, students have been assigned to finish their observational data and field notes, and come to class with a drafted narrative of their observational data, targeted toward their primary scholarly audience.

We begin class with a discussion of McQuillan’s essay:

Exercise One: Drawing conclusions from McQuillan’s “Day in the Life of Rafael Jackson”

• Essentially, ethnography bases the conclusions it draws from “reading” or interpreting the observations made during the study itself

Q1: What conclusions (or interpretations) does McQuillan draw from his day with Rafael?
Q2: What is the evidence from his observations that he uses to support these conclusions?
Q3: Do you agree or disagree with any of these? Why?
Q4: Are there any conclusions he doesn’t draw that could be supported from the observations?

Then we move to a whole-class response session:

Drawing your own conclusions about your observations:

• Face each other on either side of the room

• Get out your observations and interview transcription you did over the weekend

• Open up a blank Word document

• In 5 minutes, list as many “conclusions” or interpretations you can draw from your own observations.

*Hint: Consider yourself an outside reader at this point—view your observations as someone who’s never seen the events before

• Exchange papers (observations only please!) with the person sitting across from you. Read and share the conclusions you would draw as a reader from those observations.

• Share findings with each other

Authors: Note not only when your conclusions match the other person’s, but also when it adds another level to your conclusions. Or also note when it contradicts the conclusions you drew.

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