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Why Ethnography Discovers What Interviews Miss
publish date: 2026/06/06 20:00:15.529138 UTC
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Why do people often find it difficult to articulate details of their work in an interview, making ethnography necessary?
Correct Answer
Because the work details are second nature to them — they understand their own work but may not recognize its relationship to other work in the organization, and social factors only become clear to an unbiased observer
Explanation
People find it difficult to articulate work details because those details are second nature to them. They understand their own work but may not understand its relationship to other work in the organization. Social and organizational factors that affect the work may only become clear when noticed by an unbiased observer.
Reference
Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 9th edition