CSEP 510, Homework 5, Due Thursday, Feb 12, 2004, 6 pm

Ethnographic study

Conduct a (short) ethnographic study in the spirit of the Yamauchi et al. paper.

Observe a subject performing a task that may require use of information sources. Possible tasks include cooking or debugging. Record how the subject performs that task - paying particular attention to how the subject uses information from different tasks. Take careful notes. Do not video tape or audio tape.

After you finish the observation, interview the subject, then write up a summary of the observations and an analysis of the use of information sources.

Both the observation and interview should be short - maybe one hour of observation, and twenty minutes of interview.