Describe the major methods of field research and indicate when researchers are most likely to utilize each of them

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Field research is the study of social life in its natural setting: observing

and interviewing people where they live, work, and play. Field research

includes the following types: participant observation—which refers to the

process of collecting data while being part of the activities of the group

that the researcher is studying? case studies—which is often an in­depth,

multifaceted investigation of a single event, person, or social grouping;

ethnography— which is a detailed study of the life and activities of a

group of people by researchers who may live with that group over a

period of years? and unstructured interviews—which are an extended,

open-ended interaction between an interviewer and an interviewee.

Field research provides opportunities for researchers to view from the inside what may not

be obvious to an outside observer. They are useful when attitudes and behaviors can be

understood best within their natural setting or when the researcher wants to study social

processes and change over a period of time. They provide a wealth of information about the

reactions of people and give us an opportunity to generate theories from the data collected.

Finally, research of this type is important for the study of race, ethnicity, and gender because

it often includes those who have been previously excluded from studies and provides

information on them.