Title: Ethical ethnography as an appropriate research methodology for ANT

Authors: Nilmini Wickramasinghe, Rajeev K. Bali

Addresses: Center for the Management of Medical Technology (CMMT), Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology, 565 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60661, USA. ' Knowledge Management for Healthcare (KARMAH), Research Subgroup, Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies (BIOCORE), Applied Research Group, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK

Abstract: The use of Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a useful lens in helping to uncover complex issues in healthcare settings is only recently being discussed (Wickramasinghe et al., 2007a–c). However to date, these studies are mute on a suitable research methodology. Researchers entering healthcare environments are often faced with unfamiliar work patterns and may lack knowledge of the industry within which they are working. Physical immersion into the healthcare environment under investigation can be beneficial as this objective standpoint allows the researcher the opportunity to experience the dynamic feel of the situation, improving observational skills, providing valuable insights into the operations of the organisation under investigation and contributing rich and pertinent data to an academic setting. Ethnography is a research methodology well suited to such first-hand investigation. This paper will focus on ethnographic immersion and its importance to facilitating the use of ANT as a useful lens for analysis.

Keywords: actor-network theory; ANT; ethnography; ethical access; ethics; healthcare.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2009.022482

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2009 Vol.6 No.1, pp.36 - 46

Published online: 09 Jan 2009 *

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