As with any science, doing ethnography involves creating cascades of representations. Below are general cascade levels many folks have expressed a need for.
First-pass tool
Many of us do a general "first-pass" through the data and create an annotated Table of Contents describing events within a video. It would be nice to have a program that would a) allow for rapid creation of "chapter headings" that could be integrated with video record, and b) feed in easily to other levels of analysis.
What should the form of the Table of Contents look like?
Timeline? Spreadsheet?
Perhaps integrates the LiveScribe pen?
Multitouch table or stylus?
Directly on the video (e.g. dots on the slider)?
Coding tool
As one develops increased familiarity with the content, categories of activity emerge. A video can then be coded for categories.
What should the form of the coded data be?
Spreadsheet?
Timelines? (Multiple)?
Integrated with the LiveScribe pen?
Superimposes coded categories on the video?
Event table tool
Timeline of events in a smaller video segment (Chapter)
What should it look like? Many of us currently use Excel. What is the advantage/disadvantage?
Should we incorporate transcripts of other kinds (line drawings, cartoons, etc.)?
