Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

by H. Russell Bernard

H. Russell Bernard's Research Methods in Anthropology, Sixth Edition, is the standard for learning about the range of methods for collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data about human thought and human behavior.

In the first section of the book, students learn the elements of research design, including how to choose a research topic, how to develop research questions and hypotheses, and how to choose an appropriate sample for their research.

In the next section, students learn the methods of data collection, including: open-ended interviewing, questionnaire design, participant observation, direct and indirect observation, building scales in the field, and taking and managing field notes. This section also introduces the methods for cultural domain analysis and network analysis.

The last section of the book covers methods for analyzing all these kinds of data, including: finding and analyzing themes in text, conversation and narrative analysis, and decision modeling, as well as descriptive and inferential statistics, multidimensional scaling. and cluster analysis. There is no separate chapter on ethics. That topic is important in every phase of research, even in the beginning phase of choosing a problem to study, and is covered throughout the book.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Research, Research Methods, Reference, Academic, Design

728 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Be brave in your hypotheses," Dr. Bernard told us this week. Written in a conversational, straightforward style, this is the book on anthropological methods. Post-structuralists -- beware the storm of ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE.

[Judd Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

You've heard of "the bible" - but have you read Bernard's Research Methods? Because, if not, you're missing out on a book that's far more informative, well thought out, approachable, and dependable.

Sure, the opening line of this review might be in jest... actually, no. I teach methods classes in academic and professional settings; review several new methods textbooks each year; and am generally obsessed with trying to improve the methodological rigour of our field. Bernard's Research Methods is, without question, the best book of its kind. It is a comprehensive, well-written, and accurate introduction to a wide range of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative.

Are there things I'd change? Sure. The statistical chapters at the end could use a little more room to breathe, allowing Bernard's smooth way of explaining things to demystify a little more (he does so well on the first half dozen statistical parameters, but we lose this accessibility as the chapter progresses). There are a few places where things are a little dated (e.g., use of computers and digital data) and could use a quick refresher.

But, in terms of being the definitive, absolute go-to methodological source for the vast majority of methods you'll encounter in conducting anthropological research? This is it. Start here, then augment with other classic (e.g., Krippendorff's 'Content Analysis') and important recent (Jensen's 'Doing Real Research' and Gough et al.'s 'Introduction to Systematic Reviews') texts.

But, there is very good reason this is the field's foundational methods text, used by colleagues I respect. Start here.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the thickness and the topic this author is amazingly un-dry! Plenty of examples and lively side comments to stir it up. It's rare to find a text book that is enjoyable to read.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unquestionably the single best authority on anthropological research methods. Every anthropologist should read this book. And when they are done they should set it at the bottom of their "to read" pile and read it again.

[Chí Lê · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to college students who want to understand the world around them with a systematic method. I learned a lot from this to design my research at my company. I learned how to interview people, how to design a survey, and many things more.

[ayyluluu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very useful for quantitative research, a bit less for qualitative!

[Rye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started good conversations in class, great diagrams for breaking down procedure.

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my thesis advisor reccomended this to me, and it’s a great reference! holy grail of anthropological research

[Poulomy Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

As long as I work in areas of social research, I will keep using this book on and off!

[Amber Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that taught me how to think like an Anthropologist. It is essential for anyone looking to develop products that fulfill a consumer's need, or anyone looking to write an ethnography about anything.

This book teaches how to collect, organize and annotate anthropological data, as well as what to look for when doing observational analysis.

One of the best things about this book is that it teaches readers how to implement ethics into their research. It shows how to befriend and respect the groups that form the basis for the reader's research, and shows how to successfully and honestly conduct participant observation.

This book is a great companion to any record of ethnography. If you read this book hand-in-hand with a piece of anthropological analysis, the failures and successes of the anthropologist will become clear. This method is an excellent way of learning from others successful and unsuccessful research methods.

Feel free to contact me at hello@oakhazelnut.com if you'd like a few .pdf ethnographies to study with this book.

[Bryce · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's considered a classic- if you want an NSF, NEH, Fulbright, etc. grant, you'd better cite it. The chapters on fieldwork (particularly fieldnotes, interviews, and p-o) are fantastic starting points for people wanting to understand how to do anthropological fieldwork.

My opinion though- it's outdated, unadventurous, and not going to give you much if your study is much more qualitatively based. The version of anthropology it supports is less a critical interrogation of the world around us, as much as it is an idealistic direction towards anthropology as a 'social' science. Alas, this is only my opinion, which is always capable of changing :)

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Research Methods in Anthropology supposes that you already have background knowledge in statistics. Bernard supposes that the reader understands complex methods in statistics, and makes no effort to explain the himself. I found myself having to look up definitions and processes constantly. Maybe it is my fault for not have taken statistics, but as THE book for anthropological data I feel as if it could have been a bit more in depth.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be brave.

[Chris Gager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked to represent a course I took at CU called "The Qualitative Method in Anthropological Thought" taught by Dave Green, the then Department Chair. Statistics... Date is approximate.

[Colleen]

Textbook for a course in Research Methods. Pretty thorough.

[Genevieve Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sort of the bible of anthropologists of the last generation. I'm sure others have come and replaced its supremecy, but to many of us, it was well thumbed.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there's a better no-nonsense volume on methodology out there, I haven't found it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skim-read for a class but it's very interesting and I'll be returning to it and reading properly at some point.

[Jennifer]

Textbook for methods in anthropological fieldwork course.

[Guo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure this is the book I will revisit from time to time.