Practical Ethnography

Ethnography is an increasingly important research method in the private sector, yet ethnographic literature continues to focus on an academic audience. Sam Ladner fills the gap by advancing rigorous ethnographic practice that is tailored to corporate settings where colleagues are not steeped in social theory, research time lines may be days rather than months or years, and research sponsors expect actionable outcomes and recommendations. Ladner provides step-by-step guidance at every turn—covering core methods, research design, using the latest mobile and digital technologies, project and client management, ethics, reporting, and translating your findings into business strategies. This book is the perfect resource for private-sector researchers, designers, and managers seeking robust ethnographic tools or academic researchers hoping to conduct research in corporate settings. More information on the book is available at http://www.practicalethnography.com/.

Author Biography

Sam Ladner is a sociologist, UX researcher, and student of productivity. She specializes in ethnographic research for product design. Prior to her current job as Principal UX Research Lead at Amazon, she worked at Microsoft in the Operating Systems Group, where she led the research on human-led design, and Microsoft Office, where she conducted ethnographic studies of workplaces. She holds a PhD in sociology and served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ryerson School of Information Technology Management in Toronto.