Research is a quest, a journey. It is born out of an observation, a question, or an intellectual gap. The way one answers that question, fills that gap or builds on that observation is research. There are many methods in which to perform it but no set way to do it. It may never truly be over, but it is a process, a process of learning, teaching and subsequently, growing.

Ethnography is a research method in which the researcher places him or herself within the community he/she is researching in order to collect the most relevant and detailed information about that community. They utilize key members of the community, namely “native speakers,” as informants to guide them within and teach them about the community. The researcher is not only an avid observer of the community, its practices, rituals, etc., but also an active participant as well. Ethnographers go in search of questions to ask. As the researcher observes, participates and learns, it is ultimately the informants that decide what the key aspects of their communities are.

Research is…

the search for information or answers about a particular subject usually using an established methodology specific to the field in which you are researching. It can encompass anything from online data-bases and encyclopedias to novels, journals, social media, interviews, etc.