Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Stalker for Hire – How to be an Engaging Ethnographer No Matter Where You are Erica M. Ruyle Market Strategies Portland, OR US (West)

http://25hourbooks.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/who-am-i-stalking-1-good-books-inc/

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Overview

•  Ethnography •  Ethnography vs. “Lurkography” •  Online Ethnography •  Being an Engaged Stalker •  Fluidity of Online vs. Offline

http://www.mirror.co.uk/life-style/real-life/2009/10/21/could-you-be-a-stalker-s-next-victim-115875-21763136/

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Ethnography

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Observation + Participation = Ethnography

Increase in insider knowledge; deeper, more accurate research

Observation Participation

Outsider’s perspective Insider’s perspective

Immersion in the natural environment is absolutely key for true ethnography

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

An extreme example…. Could you tell what’s going on here by just “observing”?

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Ethnography vs. “Lurkography”

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Stalker = Lurker = Listening/watching only, machine capture, or disimpassioned observation

“LURKOGRAPHY”

http://johnnysix.deviantart.com/art/Lurking-67648627?q=boost:popular+lurking&qo=54

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Engaged Stalker = participant = ethnography

Say Hello!

Get involved!

http://www.admavericks.com/2009/12/01/thou-shall-not-lurk/

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

How we see ourselves -

How the online communities see us -

The harsh truth about lurking….

http://martinwiklund.deviantart.com/art/Saints-72408497?q=boost:popular+in:photography+saints&qo=17

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Online Ethnography

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

“Field site” of an online ethnographer

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Some basics

• Cultural Entrée − “Lurk” but only as a prelim

to gain broader understanding − Gain rapport/trust − Embrace the community − Talk with the “gatekeepers” − Find your community

“partner” − Engage, Engage, Engage!

• Some things to keep in mind − Trust is a two way street − “Experiential” rather than

Physical − Let go – loss of control − The internet is always

“open”

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Deconstruct online vs. offline dichotomies

ttp://ivan-suta.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d18657r

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Being an Engaged Stalker

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Engage! Engage! Engage!

Go beyond the

community

Open yourself

Embrace the

participant and look beyond

the words

It’s all too easy to forget the person behind the text http://www.pandart.org/2010/11/save-the-words/

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

It’s okay….

To drop the researcher mask!

http://kim-92.deviantart.com/art/The-mask-99010859?q=boost:popular+mask&qo=9

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Context Sensitivity Internal Consistency

Reflexivity

Flexibility and Adaptation

Online Ethnography requires Agility and Flexibility

Quick Thinking

http://charbage.deviantart.com/art/ustrasana-68468890?q=boost:popular+in:photography+flexibility&qo=70

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Fluidity of Online vs. Offline

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

http://www.investzoom.com/PDF/virtual_ethnography.pdf

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Engage in multiple formats

Phone calls

Text messages VoIP

Webcam Face to face

IM

Think outside the (computer) box

Video Streams

http://endrius.deviantart.com/art/ok-computer-60483058?q=boost:popular+computer&qo=3

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

A quick word on analysis • No single canonical way to approach the data

• Data analysis should be taking place throughout data collection in order to gain momentum

• Look for patterns, connections, similarities or contrastive points

• Spend time getting to know the “site” and spend thoughtful time on its meaning

• Code data with short and concise code frame

• Market Research will almost always need to engage in ethnographic rapid assessment procedures

• Can turn into long term fieldwork; no reason to cut ties • Triangulate data

• Field notes/interviews/coding/site documents • Look for “local categories of meaning”

• What is the “native point of view” and what is the meaning for the research http://lilfairie.deviantart.com/art/A-thousand-words-50799719?q=boost:popular+words&qo=122

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

A friendly reminder….

Thank you!

Erica Ruyle, Market Strategies, USA Part 3: Session 3, Convenor Andrew Jeavons, Chair Susan Sweet, schedule = 5:16pm to 5:38pm (EST/New York)

Q & A Erica Ruyle and Susan Sweet