From the Editor's Notepad
This issue of Inkshed focusses on ethnography. As more and more
members of the Inkshed community incorporate ethnographic techniques into
their study of reading and writing practices in both academic and workplace
contexts, we thought it would be interesting to hear about some of that
work. The first two articles both examine the role of notes in the construction
of knowledge. Kathryn Alexander's examination
of staff members' daily log notes in a mental health boarding home looks
at how documentation practices create identities for both staff and residents
in the home. My own study of the writing of
an evaluation report in a department of a post secondary educational institution
examines how researchers' "field notes" provide the basis for the construction
of the apparently objective knowledge that informs decision making in the
organization. Jean Mason focusses specifically
on aspects of data collection using email and synchronous instant messaging.
Margaret Procter describes a project in which
she is studying whether on-line writing promotes literacy skills. And finally,
Brent Faber gives us a taste of creative ethnography
with his excerpt from a much larger project on cultural change. Also in
this issue, information about the next Inkshed conference and a reminder
to pay your Inkshed dues for this year!
Barbara Schneider
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