H. Russell Bernard

This Handbook establishes a new benchmark for understanding anthropological field methods of the past 100 years. Avoiding the divisive debates over science and humanism, the authors contributing to this volume draw upon both traditions to define and describe fieldwork in practice. Authored by 27 leading anthropologists, these chapters provide the reader with comprehensive, contemporary descriptions of the methods that anthropologists use, the logic behind their use, and of the complex problems involved in conducting research on people in their natural setting. This is an essential reference tool for all scholars, professionals, and advanced students in anthropology and in other disciplines using fieldwork.

Research Methods in Anthropology is the standard textbook for methods classes in anthropology programs. Over the past dozen years, it has launched tens of thousands of students into the field with its combination of rigorous methodology, wry humor, commonsense advice, and numerous examples from actual field projects. Now the fourth edition of this classic textbook is ready, written in Russ Bernard's unmistakable conversational style. It contains all the useful methodological advice of previous editions and more: additional material on text analysis, an expanded section on sampling in field sett.