A Guide to Ethnomusicology Research: Practical Directions for Postgraduate Students

Ethnomusicology is widely recognized as an interdisciplinary field that examines music as a cultural practice embedded within social, historical, and political contexts. Despite increasing interest among postgraduate students, many emerging researchers encounter difficulties in understanding how ethnomusicological research is conducted in practice, particularly with regard to integrating musical analysis with ethnographic inquiry and navigating the ethical and methodological complexities of fieldwork. This article presents a concise methodological guide designed to support postgraduate students undertaking ethnomusicological research. Drawing upon scholarship in qualitative research, ethnography, and music studies, the paper outlines key stages in the research process, including topic formulation, research question development, methodological design, field engagement, documentation, data analysis, and scholarly dissemination. Particular attention is given to reflexivity, researcher positionality, and ethical engagement with communities, which are essential considerations in culturally embedded research. In addition, the paper highlights common methodological and practical challenges encountered by novice researchers and proposes strategies for addressing these challenges within field-based inquiry. By synthesizing theoretical insights with practical guidance, the article aims to provide postgraduate researchers with a structured framework for conducting ethnomusicological studies while contributing to broader discussions on interdisciplinary research methodologies in music scholarship.

Ethnomusicology; ethnographic fieldwork; qualitative research; research methodology; music and culture; postgraduate research

1. Anderson-Levitt, K. M. (2012). Ethnography. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, & P. B. Elmore (Eds.), Handbook of complementary methods in education research (pp. 279–295). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203874769-21 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Bakan, M. B. (2015). “Don't go changing to try and please me”: Combating essentialism through ethnography in the ethnomusicology of autism. Ethnomusicology, 59(1), 116–144. https://doi.org/10.5406/ethnomusicology.59.1.0116 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Berlin, E. A., & Berlin, B. (2005). Some field methods in medical ethnobiology. Field Methods, 17(3), 235–268. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05277532 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bieler, P., Bister, M. D., Hauer, J., Klausner, M., Niewöhner, J., Schmid, C., & von Peter, S. (2021). Distributing reflexivity through co-laborative ethnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 50(1), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241620968271 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Campbell, P. S. (2003). Ethnomusicology and music education: Crossroads for knowing music, education, and culture. Research Studies in Music Education, 21(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X030210010201 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Corn, A. (2009). Sound exchanges: An ethnomusicologist’s approach to interdisciplinary teaching and learning in collaboration with a remote Indigenous Australian community. World of Music, 51(3), 21–50. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41699906 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Day, S. (2012). A reflexive lens: Exploring dilemmas of qualitative methodology through the concept of reflexivity. Qualitative Sociology Review, 8(1), 60–85. https://bibliotekanauki.pl/articles/2108228.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Faulkner, S. L., & Trotter, S. P. (2017). Reflexivity. In M. Allen (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication research methods (pp. 1–2). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0207 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. FitzGerald, D. (2023). Ethnographic analysis. In A. Triandafyllidou (Ed.), Selected topics in migration studies (pp. 207–211). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19631-7_36 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Hazarika, P., & Kashyap, A. (2021). Mapping of research publications on ethnomusicology through the lens of Web of Science. Library Philosophy and Practice. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/5520 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hine, C. (2017). Digital ethnography. In B. S. Turner et al. (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of social theory. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118430873.est0628 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Killick, A. (2013). Visual evidence in ethnomusicology. In J. Richardson, C. Gorbman, & C. Vernallis (Eds.), The Routledge companion to music and visual culture (pp. 75–83). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203629987 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Koskoff, E. (2020). Ethnomusicology and philosophy. In T. Gracyk & A. Kania (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Western music and philosophy (pp. 45–64). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199367313.013.4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Krüger, S. (2009a). Ethnomusicology in the academy: An introduction. World of Music, 51(3), 7–20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41699905 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Krüger, S. (2009b). The ethnomusicologist as pedagogue: Disciplining ethnomusicology in the United Kingdom. World of Music, 51(3), 139–170. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41699911 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Lury, C., Fensham, R., Heller-Nicholas, A., Lammes, S., Last, A., Michael, M., & Uprichard, E. (2018). Routledge handbook of interdisciplinary research methods. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315714523 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Marcus, G. E. (2015). Reflexivity in anthropology. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (2nd ed., pp. 88–92). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.12139-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Nattiez, J. J. (1990). Music and discourse: Toward a semiology of music. Princeton University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Nettl, B. (2010). Nettl's elephant: On the history of ethnomusicology. University of Illinois Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Nettl, B. (2013). Becoming an ethnomusicologist: A miscellany of influences. University of Illinois Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Nettl, B. (2017). Have you changed your mind? Reflections on sixty years in ethnomusicology. Acta Musicologica, 89(1), 45–65. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26350041 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Reyes, A. (2016). What do ethnomusicologists do? An old question for a new century. Narodopisna Revue, 100–109. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25653044 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Rice, T. (Ed.). (2011). Ethnomusicological encounters with music and musicians: Essays in honor of Robert Garfias. Ashgate Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Robben, A. C. G. M., & Sluka, J. A. (2015). Ethnography. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (2nd ed., pp. 178–183). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.12065-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Sturman, J. L. (2022). Research methods in ethnomusicology (Music ethnography). In G. Andreopoulos & H. F. Carey (Eds.), Scholarly research in music: Shared and disciplinary-specific practices (2nd ed., pp. 95–113). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003153924-9 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Titon, J. T. (2015). Ethnomusicology as the study of people making music. Muzikoloski Zbornik, 51(2), 175–185. https://doi.org/10.4312/mz.51.2.175-185 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]