Field research

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Field research/primary market research has traditionally been thought different from methods of research conducted in a laboratory or academic setting. It was developed originally from anthropology and is sometimes know as participant research, or as ethnography in anthropology. It has been adapted to the business world as well as some of this article points out.

It is less technically known as field work, a term originating in farm and plantation labor, and a term sometimes used to refer to the temporary fortifications constructed prior to battle.

The term "field research", is also used by many industries as a generic reference to collecting or creating new information outside of a laboratory or typical workplace.

Participant observation, data collection, and survey research are examples of field research, in contrast to what is often called experimental or lab research.

1 History of Field Research 2 Methods 3 Advantages and Disadvantages 4 References

Field research has a long history. Cultural anthropologists have long used field research to study other cultures. Although the cultures do not have to be different, this has often been the case in the past with the study of so called primitive cultures, and even in sociology the cultural differences have been ones of class. The work is done... in "'Fields' that is circumscribed areas of study which have been the subject of social research".^[1] Fields could be education, industrial settings, or Amazonian rain forests. Likewise field research could be done by zoologists such as Jane Goodal. Radcliff-Brown[1910] and Malinowski[1922] ^[2] were early cultural anthropologists who set the stage for future work.

Business use of field research is an applied form of anthropology and is as likely to be advised by sociologists or statisticians in the case of surveys.

Consumer marketing field research is the primary marketing technique used by businesses to research their target market.

Field research involves the collection of primary data or information that is new. This is collected through surveys and questionnaires that are made out specifically for a purpose.

The advantages of Field Research are that people are closer to real world conditions and that the business can design the research in the best way to discover the particular information required. Business can also be sure that the information gathered is up to date.

Disadvantages of Field Research are that it takes time for the business to gather the information and that it is likely to be of a small sample size due to the high costs and time it takes.