Anthropological Research : The Structure of Inquiry

The authors place strong emphasis not only on quantification and statistics, but also on the more qualitative aspects of anthropological working styles that are essential to effective research. The two main themes of the book can be stated as follows: (1) anthropological generalizations and more complex theoretical structures can be built up only through careful implementation of basic concepts, the building blocks of all theory, and (2) successful description and hypothesis testing depend on the judicious mixing of quantitative and qualitative research materials.

The second edition, in which Professor Gretel Pelto has collaborated with her husband, expands the discussion of tools of research and offers a more comprehensive analysis of current ideas concerning the "theory-building" process. An entirely new chapter has been added on the research methods and relevance of applied anthropology. Throughout the text, many new and updated examples are cited to illustrate statistical and methodological approaches to anthropological research.