Answer & Explanation:Field Research Methods
Field research, also known as primary research, involves using human subjects to get information. These methods can be formalized (ex: a politician devices a phone poll to be given to millions of citizens, and the results are analyzed by a team of statisticians), or used informally (ex: a student interviews his grandmother about life during the Great Depression). Field research can be valuable since you receive your information straight from the source, or sources, themselves. Since you are in the drivers seat, you can customize your research to suit the needs of your particular project. Three methods will be discussed in this lesson: interviews, observations, and surveys.
Interviews
In interviews, you will directly question a person who has some knowledge related to your research question. Interviews work best when your research focuses on a topic with which your interviewee has direct experience. Alternatel
y, if your topic for research is so current or so specialized that not much has been published on it, an interview can be a great way to gather more authoritative information than the library or Web can provide.
Deciding who to interview can be tough. You need to consider the ethos of your subject. In other words, does he or she have authority to discuss a topic? Look at this example: A student wants to write about Hurricane Katrinas impact. Someone who witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina firsthand would be a great source. An expert meteorologist who knows about hurricanes would also be a great source. The question is what type of information would best help the students paper? If the students goal is to arouse pathos (emotion) in the reader, the eye-witness would be a better source. If the writer was aiming for facts (logos), the meteorologist would contribute the most.
After choosing a person to interview, remember to mind your manners!