What:
Guerrilla ethnography is a method for rapidly observing and recording people and patterns of behaviour simultaneously and from multiple perspectives. Teams split into a number of undercover cells, each focussed different types of behaviour, actions or events. It is a highly collaborative activity.

Why:
Large amounts of data can be gathered in a short time - in a few hours to a day. The richness of the data comes from having cells in various locations each focussed on specific details rather than trying to record everything.

When:
It is especially useful when time is limited but there are plenty of people available to be observers. It’s best suited to situations when multiple observers can blend in to a scene and there is lot’s of activity to observe. Commuters at a station, visitor flow through a museum, interactions and activity in a public square etc..

How: Teams are split into pairs - one person will use a discreet camera phone and the other take observational notes. Each pair observes and collects specific information - activities, gestures, emotions, movement. Combined the data should offer a holistic and detailed picture of an environment or event.

Example: Mobility in Delhi

Participants divided into 10 pairs each journeying to Old Delhi Railway station by different routes and by different modes of transport - from cycle rickshaw, taxi, to local trains. What were the particular experiences of each service? Time, comfort, safety, ease of use, cost. Who used each service, who was excluded and why?

Issues:
There are both practical and ethical issues due to the covert nature of data collection. Mobile phones allow discreet data collection, whilst traditional cameras make the process visible but probably affect results.

Taking photos in public without permission (e.g in a railway station) has legal implications for organisations carrying out the research. Data ownership and publishing need to be thoughtfully considered.

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