Ethnography is a research approach that seeks to understand and represent the points of view of the members of a particular culture. As in other forms of qualitative research, the data collected are rich in their descriptions of people, places, languages, and events. Ethnographic research can be characterized by its multi-instrumental approach, utilizing such tools as participant observation, notetaking, audio- or videotaping, interviewing informants and compiling biographical data on them, collecting genealogies and life histories, taking photographs or making films, administering questionnaires or surveys, and eliciting ratings and rankings. Teachers, administrators, or researchers seeking to design workplace literacy programs can learn about the home, school, and community contexts of their clients by using some of the techniques described above. Research has shown that ethnographic methods have proven to be highly successful for providing insights into adult literacy students' school, work, home, and community experiences. Such information can be invaluable in the design of training and educational programs for nonnative employees. Investigation of the different domains in which the literacy activities of adult English-as-a-Second-Language workers take place can highlight the wide range of activities that involve reading and writing. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (VWL)