Making mistakes in ethnography

Starting from the question: “How do mistakes arise in ethnography and how do they influence research trajectories?” this article makes a methodological and practical contribution to the literature on ethnography. I draw on three ethnographic studies spanning 2014 to 2020 carried out in sport organisations. Here, I consider mistakes as charged revelatory moments to unpack three interwoven aspects of mistakes: (a) wishful thinking, (b) the influence of social relationships, and (c) reflexivity. I make the case that mistakes will likely arise from extended participant observation periods. These mistakes can activate attention for similar mistakes in the future and thus limit attention to other unforeseen challenges. Further, I argue that no amount of planning, reading, preparation, and reflexivity can make researchers immune to mistakes when venturing into complex real-world settings and researching with people. Instead, they can lead to a deeper appreciation of the research context.