Guide to Primary Research

A Guide to Primary Research for the Discourse Community Ethnography

Generic Interview Questions

·      How long have you been here?

-12 yrs

·      Why are you involved?

-want to help people

·      What do X, Y, and Z words mean?

-Hippa-classified

-“SIA” code-cardiac arrest

-“DOA”-Dead On Arrival

-Repertory arrest- quit breathing but hearts still breathing

-BVM- Bag Valve Mask, helps them breath

-They have a lot of other codes then these once.

·      How did you learn to write A, B, and/or C?

-Patient Report- Summery of what you did with patient on runs/transports, and you lean to write then through you EMT classes.

·      How do you communicate with other people on your team?

-Radio

·      What kinds of texts do you write and read here? memos/emails/notes?

-The patient Reports

·      What distinguishes these texts from writing you do outside this community?

-Because you can’t talk about it too much outside the community because of Hippa.

·      Do you consider yourself a full member of this community?

-Yes always here working

·      Who has authority here and how is it displayed?

-Medic boss applied for boss then gets it, displayed by they know the person is the boss but they’re the same as everyone else.

·      How often do you write?

-They write their reports daily

·      What kinds of texts do you write? Informal or Formal?

-Formal

Specific Interview Questions

·      What types of writing or communicative activities do those in authoritative positions engage in in this community?

-Talk to people, take them on runs, and explain the importance 

·      How did you gain authority in this community?

-Just by being respective to all people you interact with

·      Who has authority here, and where does the authority come from?

-The State of EMT board, they set rules and they all have to bide by them

·      How do the various types of writing you engage in influence your role in this community?

-Talk to people about the importance of 911

Generic Forum/Discourse Analysis

·      What are the shared goals of this community; why does the group exist and what does it do?

-Keep people safe

·      What are the purposes of each of these mechanisms of communication?

-Radio- always has “service” so you can get ahold of each other

·      What kinds of specialized language do group member’s use in their conversation and in their genres?

-Signals or codes-so friends and families don’t get upset

·      Who are the “old-timers” with expertise? Who are the newcomers with less expertise? How do we differentiate between the two among a variety of texts?

-“Old-timer” teaches the new once, and the “newbies” have a “glazed over dear look”

·      How do newcomers learn the appropriate language, genres, and knowledge of the group?

-Classes and old-timers

Specific Forum/Discourse Analysis

·      What kinds of conflicts emerge within the discourse of this community? What prompts these conflicts and who is involved?

-Old-timers teaching the newbies the ropes

·      What are the processes of enculturation and apprenticeship used to help or hinder newcomers in joining?

-Hands on experience by riding along

·      What are the “modes of belonging” that newcomers are attempting to use?

-They think there bad stuff and know everything

·      What sorts of multi-literacies do members of this community possess?

-Different levels of certification require different aspects of data/information/documentation in their reports.

My Questions

·       What are the levels?

-Director

-Asst. Director

-EMT – Paramedic

-EMT - Intermediate

-EMT – Basic

·       Where do you guys do your training?

-We do all our training in house

·       Who do you guys do you dispatching? (People do it or is it electric) 

-Were all trained in dispatching and do it ourselves.

·       Are you guys always running or do you get breaks?

-Yes we get down time between runs