Ethnographic DATA.pdf
README for Ethnographic Data Repository
Overview of the Dataset
This dataset contains anonymized fieldnotes collected as part of my ethnographic research conducted in England between 2021 and 2022. The research explored daily life in a care home, focusing on how gender roles and norms shape care relationships and influence the well-being of residents and caregivers. The dataset has been deposited to comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) requirement to ensure open access to research data.
Ethical Considerations and Limitations of Sharing Ethnographic Data
While open access is crucial for fostering transparency and reproducibility, ethnographic data presents unique challenges due to its contextual, interpretative, and sensitive nature:
- Context Dependency:
The fieldnotes are highly context-specific, often relying on shorthand, personal reflections, and cultural nuances that were meaningful primarily to me as the researcher. These notes were generated during an immersive ethnographic process and may lack the clarity, structure, or explicit definitions typical of quantitative or formal datasets. - Interpretative Nature:
Ethnographic data reflects subjective observations and interpretations based on my lived experience in the field. Without my contextual insights, some notes may seem incomplete or ambiguous, and users should be cautious of potential misinterpretations. - Participant Privacy:
Although the dataset has been thoroughly anonymized, ethnographic descriptions are often detailed and nuanced. There remains a small risk of inadvertent identification due to the richness of the narratives. Users should handle the data with care and maintain high ethical standards to safeguard participant confidentiality.
Use and Interpretation Guidance
This dataset is intended primarily for educational and methodological use rather than for making broad generalizations. Users are advised to:
- Recognize the contextual limitations of these fieldnotes.
- Refer to related research outputs (e.g., published papers or thesis) for a more complete understanding of the research context.
- Contact the researcher for clarification if necessary, especially when attempting to interpret complex or ambiguous sections of the notes.
Acknowledgements and Citation
If you use this dataset, please acknowledge it as follows:
Tauzer, Jayme. 2024. Anonymized Fieldnotes from: ‘Male Magnets,’ ‘Firecrackers,’ and ‘Fussy Englishmen’: An Ethnographic Investigation of the Influence of Gender Norms on Well-Being in an English Care Home. Figshare. DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27967878
Thank you for respecting the ethical and interpretative considerations of this dataset.
