Select an ethnic group to write about and title your essay appropriately. Begin your essay with a clear introduction containing general facts about the group of people you've chosen to study. Create a title for the paper that states the content and purpose. An essay from an ethnography about Hawaiian ethnic practices and beliefs might be titled, "Native Hawaiians: From the Island's Creation to Present Day."
Compose body paragraphs that focus on specific components about ethnic formation. For example, individual body paragraphs could cover a group's creation myths, its resettlement history, its spiritual beliefs or its child rearing practices. Use the ethnography to find key information, then use key terms to research further. For example, if you identify the practice of patronymics (surnames based on a father's first name) within an ethnic group, you might then research common patronyms found within the group. Structure your body paragraphs so each one provides information supporting the title and main purpose of the essay.
Conclude the paper with a paragraph detailing the ways that each body paragraph supports the thesis. Briefly mention each body paragraph from your paper within the conclusion. Mention any primary or secondary sources and their role in supporting the essay's primary message. Reiterate the importance of your essay in continuing the intellectual conversation and sociological research about a specific ethnic group. Communicate the importance of the research to the population as a whole.
Cite all sources, including the ethnography, in a works cited page. Create a works cited page in proper APA style. APA is the citation format adopted by the American Psychological Association. It typically is used by writers and students in social sciences, business and nursing fields. Remember to use in-text citations if citing examples from sources within the body of the essay. Correct in-text citations include the author, date of publication and page number preceded by a "p." Use an introduction before the quote that consists of a signal phrase (such as "According to Jacobs (1998)") to alert the reader to the author name, year of publication and page number. All other citations belong at the end of the essay on a separate page entitled "Works Cited."