GLOSSARY

Charts Visual representations of various types of information and the relationships between people and pieces of informationCoding System of marking and organizing field notes in order to easily search and identify connections in sets of data Collaboration research work between multiple ethnographers as part of a team or between ethnographers and members of the community or communities being studied Comparative data Data collected from various, comparable sources that shed light both on the regularity of social and cultural phenomena and on similarities and differences across cultures and societies Composite descriptions Ethnographic accounts that combine details from various individuals or individual cases; can be used to protect anonymity in certain circumstances; also used to highlight general tendencies that crosscut individual situations Conceptual maps Representations of mental understandings of relationships between people, things, and ideas; attempt to examine the dimensions of society and culture that are neither physical nor visible Confidentiality Respect for and protection of personal informationContext Important consideration in evaluating and analyzing artifacts and documents; helps ethnographer to understand connections, purposes, and meanings Conventions Common elements of ethnographies that researchers can choose to employ in constructing ethnographies; include arrival scenes, case studies, key figures, and composite descriptions Critique Feedback that helps ethnographer identify areas that need revision and data or analytical ideas that she may need to revisit Contestation Disagreement over meaning or significance that often emerges in the course of research; highlights the variety and complexity of cultures and societies; important arena for analysis Glossary 223Key figures Individuals who figure prominently in an ethnography as important sources of information and insight; sometimes represent or speak for a larger social group Key informants Informants upon whom ethnographer particularly relies; often offer unique insights or occupy a specific social position that offers an important perspective Key methods Primary means for collecting ethnographic data; participant-observation, interviewing, and mapping are some of the key methods in ethnography Key themes Patterns in ethnographic data that emerge in the course of data collection and analysis; repre-