Project #1 involves the collection of primary data through observation and interview. It consists of seveveral steps:

1. Identify a group that you are not a member of, but one which you find interesting for some reason. I recommend finding a group that you can locate here at ECU, although if you're willing/able to travel to other towns to observe and interview these folks, feel free to do so.
2. Conduct three - five (3 - 5) observations of this group in action. You could choose a group meeting, an informal/social gathering, a business meeting, or if your group is less "structured," you could simply arrange to be in the same place as this group, observing from the sidelines. You will need to keep detailed observation notes like those demonstrated in Chapters 2 and 3 of Fieldworking.
3. Conduct two - three (2 - 3) interviews with individual members of this group. You are responsible for keeping typed transcripts of these interviews, transcripts which include your interview questions and an accurate representation of the responses those questions elicited.
4. Two Research Reflections (3 - 4 double-spaced pages). These two "reflections" should be informal in nature, but that doesn't mean you won't demonstrate extensive engagement with your fieldnotes. You should hand these in at two different points in the process, once after the first or second interview / observation, and then again after you've finished observations. Suggestions for formatting can be found below.

Although Project #1, at this stage, doesn't look like any "essay" you've probably had to write before, that's o.k. It can't because you haven't gotten enough information, most likely, to create a workable, supportable, readable essay. That will come later. For now, you should focus on "collecting" data and "reflecting" on data collection. (See below for Reflection assignments.)

Reflection #1

Reflection #1 is a short, informal piece of writing that explores your experiences with data collection in an anthropological/ethonographic genre. Specifically, you should write both your "feelings" and "understandings" of two things: the data you've collected and yourself. Reflection, of course, is inward-directed (thus the "yourself" focus above), but it is also about making cognitive and intelligent connections, showing YOURSELF (and in this case, me as a reader) that you're able to read your data in smart, useful ways, drawing out possible conclusions or even further areas for research.

You should write your Research-Reflection in three parts:

1. Topic Summary: Write a brief paragraph explaining the group you've chosen, why you've chosen that group, and what you hope to learn. (Later, you'll formulate a "research question," but right now, all you need is a few possible "what I want to learn" comments.)
2. Data Analysis: For this section, you should write 1 - 2 double spaced pages explaining what your observations/interviews have uncovered. Do you see any patterns? Similarities between interviews/observations? Any preliminary conclusions you might make based on your data? (Remember, you don't say "all people" when you've been looking a one small group: state your claims in terms of "This particular group tends to . . ." or "While observing X group, I noticed . . .")
3. Self-Analysis: For this section, you should write 1 double spaced page explaining what your observations/interviews had done to/for YOU. What parts have been difficult: Seeing everything at once? Finding a focus? Asking your questions without interrupting the interviewee? Look at your experience doing this sort of research: how is it different from other kinds you've done? What are you LEARNING about research and yourself as you do this?

Reflection #2

While Reflection #1 involved, primarily, your reactions to your work so far, Reflection #2 should be undertaken after you've finished your first "set" of observations/interviews. In this particular reflection, you're focusing on the construction of knowledge, reporting your findings and explaining them using the data you've collected. What does that mean? Simply put, it means you have to "make meaning" from your data. You've collected all this "stuff," but what does it mean? What does it mean in relation to the questions you started the project with? Essentially, what does this information tell us about this group?

Write three (3) double-spaced pages (Times New Roman 12 pt.) about your findings. View this as a "synthesis" document: you're taking all that information and putting it into useful chunks for you and me to understand. You might divide your reflection into two parts: observations and interviews. You do not have to, but you may. Regardless, you should be clear about two things: 1) where the information you're discussing came from and 2) this information doesn't tell us anything about world truths or "natural" occurences, only about your small group you've been studying.

Cover Memo #1

The purpose of the Cover Memo is to give you a chance to reflect and analyize your experience so far on this research project. It is not enough merely to list what you've done or thought, but also explain it, to make it make sense.

As you stop to take a snap-shot of your research project, consider some of the following questions:

1. Why did you choose the group you've selected? Have your reasons changed at all? Have you found different questions to ask through preliminary observations and interviews?
2. What pieces of data stand out for you now, seem most relevant? Why?
3. What was the easiest part of this project so far? Why?
4. What was the most difficult part so far? Why?
5. What has trying this sort of research done for you as a researcher? Has it changed, in any way, your assumptions about what research is, who can do/does research, what research might mean, what different sorts of research might be useful at what times?
6. If you could talk to a class like this, one just starting such a project, what recommendations would you make as a more experienced qualitative researcher?

This document should be typed, single-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt. font.

Research Packet #1

Please include the following items in your first Research Packet. Remember, this packet should be a two-pocket folder, preferably with NO hole-punch binder in the middle.

1. Cover Memo (we'll do this in class on the day you turn in the packet)
2. Reflection #2
3. Reflection #1
4. Blog Postings (4-5)
5. Observation Notes (2-3)
6. Interview Notes (2-3)

In your folder, please put items 1 - 3 in the left-side pocket (make sure you name is on EVERYTHING); please put items 4 - 6 in the right-side pocket. Please keep the items in the order they are listed above.