Method guide · Progress through phases
Simple Ethnography
Observe what happens in practice and distinguish those observations from interpretations.
- People
- 2–30
- Base procedure time
- 75 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Explore through dialogue; Reflect and learn.
English guide
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How this method works
A method for observing what happens in practice and recording it separately from interpretations. Use it when meeting-room discussion alone leaves actual behaviour unclear and leads to poorly targeted responses. In the observation column, write what people did, the words they actually used, the time, and the place. Add interpretations such as ‘They were having difficulty’ later in a separate column. Keeping these apart makes it possible to compare what was seen with what was inferred. The result is a set of observations, interpretations, opportunities discovered, and a small action to try next. Do not use the method where permission and safety at the observation site cannot be secured, or where people or groups would be judged from a single observation.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
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- Present the question0–8 minutes from the start (8 minutes)
Action: Present. Participation: Everyone.
Recording not separately specified for this phase
- Observe in the field8–38 minutes from the start (30 minutes)
Action: Observe. Participation: Pairs.
Individual record
- Bring back practical artefacts38–45 minutes from the start (7 minutes)
Action: Bring. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
- Add interpretations45–60 minutes from the start (15 minutes)
Action: Add. Participation: Small groups.
Shared record
- Explore opportunities60–75 minutes from the start (15 minutes)
Action: Explore. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 8 minutes, present the shared challenge and distribute observation guides with separate fact and interpretation columns.
- For 30 minutes, go to the observation sites in pairs and record actions, words, times, and places in the observation column.
- For 7 minutes, bring collected practical artefacts and records back to the shared table and lay them out one item at a time.
- For 15 minutes, review the notes in small groups and add interpretations after the facts have been recorded.
- For 15 minutes, share with everyone in the order of facts, interpretations, then next steps, and choose one opportunity to try.
If something changes
If
At least 2 groups begin their explanation of the artefacts with an interpretation in the first sentence.
Then
Pause the presentations, write actions, words, times, and places in the observation column, and move meanings to the interpretation column before continuing.
If
With 2 minutes left in the discussion of opportunities, there are still 0 opportunities to try next.
Then
Choose the most surprising fact in the observation records and plan an observation that checks only that fact.
Preparation
Materials
- An observation guide with separate fact and interpretation columns (1 sheet per person)
- A notebook and pen for recording observations (1 set per person)
- One shared table for displaying collected practical artefacts
- A ‘Facts, interpretations, next step’ sheet (1 per small group)
Room and setup
- Observation sites, such as other rooms in the building, reception, or offices: provide one site for each pair
- One shared table near the entrance for displaying practical artefacts on return
Adjust for people and time
With 2 participants, one pair goes to the observation site, and the same two people form the small group on return. With 2–30 participants, provide an observation site for each pair and send pairs to those sites. If there are more than 10 pairs, split the sharing of artefacts into a first and a second half, add 10 minutes, and have everyone view both halves.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Secure permission and safety at the observation site. Keep observed facts separate from interpretations. Do not use one observation to judge a person or group.
Historical translation and source notes
These original notes are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. This historical label does not resolve a source-specific concern or establish current acceptance.
- The source specifies pairs for 2–30 participants but does not state how to handle an odd total. This draft does not invent a remainder rule. The source's extra 10 minutes for more than 10 pairs is preserved in scaling; the unchanged metadata retains the 75-minute base plan.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026): Simple Ethnography — Henri Lipmanowicz / Keith McCandless / Nancy White
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/simple-ethnography
Adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes made
- CC BY-SA 4.0
Current-page licence notice
This explanation is an adaptation for Taiwa no Fumen based on the official Liberating Structures page linked below. The manuscript's recorded references are listed separately from the web page checked on 17 October 2026.
Changes: the Japanese explanation and facilitation plan have been edited for Taiwa no Fumen. The English edition translates that Japanese manuscript; it is not a verbatim translation of the official page.
The LS-adapted text on this page, including this site's editorial and translation contributions, is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. When reusing it, credit the creators, identify the source and licence, indicate changes, and follow the licence's ShareAlike terms when sharing adaptations.
This site's notation diagrams and on-screen illustrations explain the facilitation process. They are not presented as official LS icons.
Method names are used to identify their sources. This is not an official LS website, and no endorsement or approval by the creators or rights holders is implied.
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Credits on the checked source page
- Developed by: Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
Source page checked on 2026-10-17: Simple Ethnography.
Source lineage
- Original repertoire (2013): Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
- 2026 Fieldbook: Keith McCandless, Nancy White
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Legal code · Official source policy
This material-specific notice does not itself establish publication clearance. Preserved manuscript references above remain separate from the current page's credits and licence evidence.
Diagram, print, and video language
Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.
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Editorial provenance
Japanese source status and logs are provenance only. They do not mean this English text or interface was field-tested. Historical fixed-text acceptance and hold records remain specific to their recorded versions; displaying them neither asserts current acceptance nor resolves source-specific restrictions.