Chapter 10 Summary

Calvin Gurtler

4/19/14

English 102

In chapter 10 of the Bedford researcher we discussed searching for information with field research methods. Field research is sometimes the best way to learn about an issue or collect information to support a position. You should consider using field research if published sources address your issue from a perspective you don’t find useful, if you are interested in an issue that most people think of as settled, if you find yourself considering an aspect of an issue that hasn’t been addressed yet, or if you just find that your line of argument can be strengthened by correspondence. One of the forms of field research is the interview. In order to decide whether a interview is necessary you have to think carefully about the role it might play in your research project.  Once you decide, it is important to plan your interview. You should decide who to interview based on what kind of information you want for your research project. Your interview questions should also focus on the issue you want to address. You should be thinking about the role you are adopting and the information you want to collect. Your questions should be in depth and require more than a yes or no answer. You should also prepare follow up answers. After the interview it is important to analyze you results. Look for new ideas, information, and arguments. Look for statements that confirm or contradict information from your other sources. Look for inconsistencies within the interview. Ask whether the information was relevant and credible. Ask whether you consider the person as qualified as you’d expected. Look for statements that might be useful in providing context. The other big form of field research is observations.