Q: Loretta asks Melinda, “I wanted to know on how to go about my research topic on syncretic practices among Catholics in Goa?”

A: Hi Loretta,

Thanks for the question. I don’t know much about this topic, but when doing a good ethnography, it is always a good idea to do a couple of things: 1) Begin by immersing yourself in the field and finding out as much as you can from the point of view of those you are trying to understand—so just start out by having people tell you what they think about the topic and show you how they behave. 2) Keep an open mind—-be prepared to learn things that are very different from your assumptions.

Good luck to you, let me know if I can help you further.

Have a great day,

Melinda