Ethnographic research was conducted alongside doctrinal and comparative research. Ethnography was conducted in the film archives as this enabled a richer understanding of existing practices, challenges and knowledge. 

It involved spending time with the group being studied, and observing the behaviour, interactions, rituals, and comments. Ethnographic research was conducted at three film archives: the BFI, EYE and MACE. During the ethnographic studies, observations about behaviours were recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted, observations were made on written documents, and on the codes and rules of the archive (both implicit and explicit).

Fundamental to ethnography is the method of participant observation by the researcher of the chosen group or site.  This method involves observing the people or setting, in an open way that acknowledges the role and intention of the researcher. Ethnography also requires notetaking of observations, of comments overheard, of the researcher’s own thoughts, of things to follow up on, etc. 

The ethnographic research was conducted between March 2019 and May 2019. In total, just under 6 weeks was spent across the three film archives. The length of time at each archive varied according to what the film archive was able to accommodate logistically. A month was spent at the BFI, of which the majority of this time was spent at the Head Office. A week was spent at EYE, at which time was spent between the EYE museum building and the Collection Centre. Two days were spent at MACE, all at one site. 

Interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner, with set questions to ask each participant. The participant’s answers then shaped the flow and content of the interview. Many hours were spent in the six weeks on site reading policy documents, touring the sites, viewing the collections, informally speaking with employees of the archive and observing the daily practices of the archives. Notes were made on these activities in the notebooks, and this time is in addition to the interview and conversation hours noted.

The interviews were transcribed verbatim where this was possible, if a recording device was used. Each interview participant was given the choice as to whether they wished an audio recorder to be used and most of them asked that they not be recorded. In these cases, detailed notes where taken during the interview and these notes clarify what are exact quotations and what has been paraphrased. 

The data gathered during the ethnographic research was analysed using discourse analysis. Discourse analysis involves coding the texts, to identify emergent themes. The interviews were individually coded. They were coded to initially identify emergent themes and discourses (or meanings) of copyright, and other topics. There is subjectivity in this coding as the researcher is interpreting the meaning and significance of what was said or observed. The coding themes used, were chosen with the specific focus on out-of-commerce works. 

An iterative process was employed when open coding the interview transcripts and notes, in that the codes emerging in each transcript where continuously reviewed against one another. This was to identify overlap or replication of code themes, as well as to identify content most relevant to out-of-commerce works.