Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Sproull & Sproull, 1982, also provide useful insights about computing in
ethnographic and qualitative research. “Computer-Assisted Anthropology,”
1984, a special section of
Practicing Anthropology,
provides another useful
discussion of computers in anthropological research. An Internet search about
qualitative analysis software will provide additional up-to-date information.)
The brief review of ethnographic equipment offered in this chapter is cer-
tainly not exhaustive. For example, many novel computer-aided design tools
provide three-dimensional pictures of objects—an extremely useful tool for
anthropologists working in space exploration. However, the tools discussed
here are the ones that an ethnographer will most often use in the field. As aides
to the ethnographer's own senses and abilities, they ease the difficult task of
analysis, which is the subject of Chapter 5.
NOTES
1. Although users continue to experience problems with bandwidth, the Next
Generation Internet and Internet 2 will use high-speed fiber-optic circuits, coaxial
cables, or satellite transmission, and higher-quality software significantly enhancing
access to the Web. Videoconferencing will benefit greatly from these improvements
and will become a “normal” mode of computer communication in the near future.
2. NVivo was formerly referred to as NUDIST software.
