Ethnography and netnography in the context of UX research
In this article, we will discuss the “Netnography” method*, which allows us to investigate both the stories of our target audience and their experiences with the product/service through their conversations on online platforms, and the “Ethnography” which is a systematic field research. Let’s take a look at the relationship and difference between these and what they offer us in the research process of experience design studies.
A good experience is only possible when the goals, needs, and limitations of the experiencer are explored and understood. Ethnography and netnography are powerful and important tools in our research toolbox for exploring and understanding these goals, needs, and limits.
What is Ethnography?
Ethnography as a research method* refers to systematic field research on a specific cultural group or phenomenon. Ethnography, which took shape in its current meaning in the early 18th century, is a sub-branch of anthropology. In social sciences, the cultural phenomenon is the subject of study. It means the study of the behavior of a particular group and its individuals observed by a researcher in a particular situation.
- behavior patterns,
- comments,
- thoughts,
- attitudes
are examined, and noted in a field study (then analyzed).
The researcher observes the participants on-site and records details and interaction patterns. It is a holistic study discipline that mostly includes qualitative data but is also supported by quantitative data, and data collection methods can vary according to the research purpose.
As human daily life moves into online platforms, it is not surprising that this form of research continues to exist in an online context. Ethnographic research conducted over the Internet is referred to by the umbrella term “digital ethnography”, while the more specialized method is called “netnography”.
What is Netnography?
The concept was defined by Professor Robert Kozinets in the late 90s. Netnography is ethnographic research conducted through online platforms. Ethnography encompasses digital ethnography and digital ethnography encompasses netnography.
Netnography is based on online interactions and the attitudes and behavioral patterns of virtual communities. It is essential to understand the target audience’s behavior and attitudes in context. In forums and social networks, individuals interact with each other and with products and services, just like in the physical world. We can shape our user experience research by tracing these interactions with netnography method.
Let’s look closer at netnography with an example:
Let’s say, a mobile application that focuses on study and planning will be released for the students preparing for university exams. For this app, you want to get to know your target audience, i.e. students preparing for university exams, better; you want to understand their needs and pain points, your research plan may include in-depth interviews, but you have decided to conduct a netnography study first.
- “Who” is your target audience?
Your target audience is students preparing for the university exam.
2. On which platforms might this audience come together online? ( “what” “where” and “why”)
You can see their comments under the lecture videos on Youtube, they may have formed study groups in closed groups on Facebook, they may have WhatsApp motivation groups, they may follow certain pages on Instagram such as “X teacher” or “Tips for best grades” and may actively comment on a specific type of TikTok posts, may participate in live broadcasts and ask questions there. You can join these groups like a student and make observations or talk about your research and ask questions.
Setting boundaries in advance about which findings will be important for your research will help you avoid getting lost in sources and interpretations. A list of keywords after the initial skim is useful for this.
3. The final step is to collect and then start to analyze the comments that are useful
If you have created your research plan by answering the “who”, “what”, “where” and “why” questions, the next step is to find and gather patterns in the “how”. You bring together the material you have collected from multiple sources and divide it into meaningful groups. Keywords make it easier at this point, for our example, the topics we would group the material under could be: time management, motivation, not being able to start studying, subject tracking, notetaking tips, difficulty focusing, exam anxiety, etc.
Although this is not relevant for this example study planning mobile app, if you are conducting a physical product-based netnography, it is important to watch out for fake reviews and distinguish them from real user reviews. Sticking to your research plan and documenting your work steps will make it easier for you to complete your netnography study without getting lost in the information overload.
What are the Differences between Ethnography and Netnography?
- Actively interacting with specific communities and individuals is possible in digital ethnography, but not a requirement in netnography.
- Netnography differs from digital ethnography in conducting synchronized interviews; synchronicity is not a requirement in the netnography method, and as a consequence, the findings of netnography should be kept up to date.
- While digital ethnography may complement or extend an ethnography study that has already begun in the physical environment, netnography is a method that can only be started and finished on online platforms, which increases the importance of drawing the research boundaries well in netnography studies.
What do ethnography and netnography have in common?
- The most important common point in netnography, ethnography or digital ethnography:
- the focus of the research should be well-defined,
- asking the correct research questions around this focus point
- correct identification of the target group.
- Systematic collection of data and compliance with research ethics is the second important point common to netnography, ethnography and digital ethnography.
- Grouping and analyzing the data correctly and sharing the analysis and interpretations with the relevant people and groups through the right methods and channels is another important and common point in netnography, digital ethnography and ethnography.
Finally, in user experience research, netnography can be used as the only tool depending on the project, or it can be used in the early stages of the research to get to know our target audience and their specific language and to prepare researchers before starting in-depth interviews. Netnography is based on the academic fields of ethnography and digital ethnography. The purpose of netnography studies is mostly to give ideas for design, or you may be writing a report for market research; it is a popular and frequently used method because it is fast, cheap, and easy to apply. Especially since digital ethnography and netnography are relatively new concepts, it is important to underline that the boundaries are still not that clear on how exactly they differ.
*method: “methodology ” or “technique” is also used to define the terms but I choose the word method since there is no consensus among researchers about their category
I originally wrote this article for Userspots’ blog in September 2021. The Turkish version is also available.
Reference:
Kozinets, Robert. (2010). Netnography: Doing Ethnographic Research Online.
