Abstract
Study of source materials within ethnographic fieldwork: A proposal for a methodological framework This article discusses the study of source materials in ethnographic fieldwork in order to propose a methodological framework. The aim of the framework is to show the relation of source materials to its representation and to a production context or broader to societal frames of references that bring producers and users together. Pursuing the framework enables ethnographic fieldworkers to observe and interpret the meanings enshrined in the source materials as well as to study its (un)intended consequences. The methodological question whether the source represents or shapes social reality was found to mediate the relation between the production context and the source materials. Three examples of ethnographic fieldwork are described that serve as an illustration of the framework. Subsequently, we discuss how the procedural iterations between the constituent parts of the framework - source materials, representation and production context - contribute to more focused research questions on and deeper insights into the topic of research.
