How do ethnographies differ from the observations that explorers missionaries and others made about foreign places?

Ethnographies are detailed studies of cultures or societies conducted by anthropologists through immersive fieldwork, while observations made by explorers, missionaries, and others tend to be more superficial and based on limited interactions with local populations. Ethnographies emphasize a holistic understanding of a culture, while observations may be influenced by biases, preconceptions, or lack of cultural context. Ethnographies aim to provide a nuanced and in-depth analysis of a society's practices, beliefs, and social dynamics, while observations may lack the depth and rigor of anthropological research methods.