Ethnography: a suitable approach for providing an inside perspective on the everyday lives of health professionals

Abstract

Di Thomson Background: This article provides a rationale for the use of ethnography, using an inside perspective on the everyday lives of health professionals as an example. Gaining such a perspective occurs through a researcher's firsthand experience of ‘being there’ for an extended period of time. By observing health professionals at work, and their social interactions, it is possible to gain an understanding of their experiences and the meanings they ascribed to these experiences. Contents: The article describes the key methods of data collection - participant observation and interviewing - along with the ongoing process of analysis. Issues related to the challenge of gaining access, the insider/outsider status of the researcher and the ethical issues involved in carrying out ethnographic research are also addressed. Conclusions: It is argued that ethnography is a useful methodology in healthcare research because it captures a holistic understanding of the social and cultural world of health professionals.