Anthropology

`This wonderful Handbook establishes the central, and complex place ethnography now occupies in the human disciplines. All future work will begin here. This Handbook will soon become required reading for all scholars and graduate students who wish to be knowledgeable in this complex field of inquiry. This is a stunning accomplishment. The field owes the editors and their contributors a major debt of thanks' - Norman K Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign`A marvellous achievement! The Handbook has all the marks of a winner - compelling writing, comprehensive coverage and very useful discussions. This is a real benchmark for ethnography. It will set the background for debate and point to ne

Introduction to Ethnographic Research streamlines learning the process of research, speaks to the student at a foundational level, and helps the reader conquer the apprehensions of mastering research methods. Written in a conversational style, authors Kimberly Kirner and Jan Mills use a focus on scaffolding across the chapters to help the student transition from step to step in the research process. Case studies and first-hand accounts are also featured in each chapter, allowing the student to see the early steps, successes and at times failures that accomplished researchers experienced in their past. These real examples further encourage the student that even the best researchers failed along the way, and more importantly, learned from those mistakes. This text is designed to be used as a stand alone book, but is enhanced by the use with the supplemental workbook, Doing Ethnographic Research by the same authors. This text has call-outs to the supplemental text, which allow for application and practice of the material learned.

At last, an accessible, authoritative, no-nonsense guide to the key concepts in one of the most widely used methodologies in social science: Ethnography. Key Features Addresses and summarizes the basic and related issues in ethnography that are covered nowhere else in a single text Examines topics like 'sampling' and 'generalizing' as well as embracing new fields such as virtual, visual and multi-sighted ethnography Discusses time-honored themes such as key informants, access, participant observation and rapport are here as well as key contemporary issues such as reflexivity, writing, and ethics Presents each concept comprehensively yet critically, with relevant examples This is not quite an encyclopedia but far more than a dictionary. This outstanding teaching and research resource is comprehensive yet brief. It is small and neat, easy to hold and flick through, and it is exactly what students and researchers have been waiting for.

For many researchers, the need to present relevant and engaging material in the most effective way in an unfamiliar setting presents a potential barrier to their success as professionals.  This handy guide tackles the obstacles to effective and successful presentations, considering the range of material which might be presented, the occasions which suit different types of material and the skills needed to present research in a way that is engaging and persuasive. This book addresses questions such as: Why should I give a paper and where might I give a paper? How does the conference system works? How do I prepare an abstract/outline/synopsis? How do I chose my material and prepare it for a conference presentation? How can I prepare effective conference aids? How can I overcome my nerves? How can I prepare and present effective posters for poster presentations? As with the other titles in the Success in Research series, this guide takes a hands-on approach and includes checklists, top tips, exercises and examples to help you remember what you have read and put it immediately to work! The Success in Research series, from Cindy Becker and Pam Denicolo, provides short, authoritative and accessible guides on key areas of professional and research development. Avoiding jargon and cutting to the chase of what you really need to know, these practical and supportive books cover a range of areas from presenting research to achieving impact, and from publishing journal articles to developing proposals. They are essential reading for any student or researcher interested in developing their skills and broadening their professional and methodological knowledge in an academic context.

"This is an excellent collection of papers which celebrates the best of traditional approaches to fieldwork, whilst also looking to its future. The Handbook will quickly become essential reading for the novice and experienced fieldworker across many of the social sciences"--Chris Pole, University of Leicester Fieldwork is widely practiced but little written about, yet accounts of the exotic, mundane, complex and often dangerous are central to not only sociology and anthropology but also geography, social psychology and criminology. In all these - increasingly overlapping - fields, experience underlies any comprehensive understanding of social life. The SAGE Handbook of Fieldwork presents the first major overview of this method in all its variety, introducing the reader to the strengths, weaknesses, and 'real world' applications of fieldwork techniques. Its 22 carefully chosen chapters are each based on a substantive field of empirical enquiry, written by an acknowledged expert in the field. The range is impressive: from the traditional to the virtual, concerning subjects as diverse as emotion, sexuality, sport, embodiment, identity, self-narrative, fieldwork in organizations, science and technology. Specifically intended for use in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in qualitative research design and methodology in sociology, anthropology, criminology, urban studies, social geography, public health and education, the handbook will also prove beneficial to academic researchers in these and other disciplines.

The basic understanding which underlies scientific evidence - ideas such as the structure of experiments, causality, repeatability, validity and reliability- is not straightforward. But these ideas are needed to judge evidence in school science, in physics or chemistry or biology or psychology, in undergraduate science, and in understanding everyday issues to do with science. It is essential to be able to be critical of scientific evidence. The authors clearly set out the principles of investigation so that the reader will be confident in questioning the experts, making an informed choice or arriving at in informed opinion. The book is intended for a wide range of readers including those who want to: }} collect their own evidence }} be able to question and judge a wide range of science-based issues that we come across in the press or other media in everyday life }} teach others how to understand evidence. This book has been developed from the authors' work with first year undergraduates in a combined science course and in primary teacher training for science specialists. It is suitable for students training as primary science specialists, and also for 'A' level and first-year undergraduates in science and science-related subjects.