CHOOSING AN ETHNOGRAPHIC TOPIC

This chapter guides the reader through the process of choosing a topic for an ethnographic research project. Beginning with ideas about where to begin looking for topics, places, people, and events are considered starting points for developing research ideas. In this discussion of the process for choosing a topic, readers learn about the benefits of a relatively specific research topic, the importance of considering the nonobvious, and a focus on knowledge and behavior as objects of study. The chapter concludes with a consideration of both practical and ethical issues that can impact the choice of an ethnographic topic.