Whilst traditional HCI studies of technology use come very much from a usability perspective (looking for what is wrong with the current system), ethnographic studies are often motivated as much from a desire to learn from the creative adoption of technology in the workplace as from any desire to 'diagnose the problem'. Some (very) early themes from an ongoing one year ethnographic study of information searching at the Scotsman newspaper are presented. The use of the 'information source' metaphor at the Scotsman is discussed, as is the negotiation of information needs during the construction of the next day's paper. Finally, the ethnography is being conducted using activity theory as a conceptual framework and some of the implications of this decision are discussed.
As you will see, have decided to focus on talking about things I know about (my fieldwork) and rather less on things that are currently hurtin' ma heid.
For more information about this talk please contact catriona@dcs.napier.ac.uk