Folknography

Folknography,
a qualitative research method, was first defined and conceptualized by Dr. David M. Lucas of Ohio University. Dr. Lucas, a communication studies faculty member, originally began his research using ethnography (citation needed) but quickly found the terms, processes and and design to be ambiguous, difficult to define and hard to implement. He then turned to Rapid Rural Appraisal, (citation needed) but soon discovered that RRA fit mostly rural, agricultural projects and did not meet his particular needs for a research method that allowed for studying a particular people group. At this juncture, in May of 2000, Dr. Lucas led a group of students from Ohio University to Saltillo, Mexico to join a group of students from The Tech of Monterrey (ITESM). (citation needed) After one full week of studying and training in the newly defined research method, the joint venture project using folknography began in a small Mexican village called General Cepeda.
Following this successful venture in Mexico, Dr. Lucas teamed up with sociologist Dr. Charles Jarrett, also from Ohio University, and refined the method in a second ambitious project with the Gullah/Geechee in South Carolina. During this project, the use of field posting to a dedicated web site was introduced along with the unique analysis concept called feed-forward.
 
< Prev   Next >