GUIDELINES FOR FIELD WORK.

For the field worker who has already decided on a topic or areas ( such as patient care, or a particular occupational group like musician or lawyers ) and who has theory construction in mind, the following questions ay provide useful starting points for thinking I theoretical terms. The basic question is what elements of the theory testing approach (quantitative research) could be useful to me in my research? This can be subdivided into two

a)      Can I draw on some of the findings of theory – testing research and use them for my own purposes?

b)      What elements of the general approach of theory – testing could be of useful to me in attempting to develop new theory?

GUIDELINES

1. Using a hypothesis as a resource. In this aspect the field researcher must ask: can I draw on the hypothesis of theory – testing research in order to structure my own research? In this sense, well established relationship between specific variables such as different forms of parental control and social class or illness behavior and social class, may provide valuable starting points for further explanatory research
2. Using particular aspects of theory – testing research, another type of question for field worker is: can I draw any of the component elements of the theory – testing research and use them independently as a means of developing new lines of thoughts? Such elements may take the form of a concept or conceptual destructions, which forms parts of a more comprehensive framework or an empirical fact or description which is taken from the context of the original research.
3. Using quantitative data as a resource, the researcher must ask a question: can quantitative data be useful in formulating theories and concepts? As we have seen theory – testing approaches have traditionally used quantitative measures and statistical techniques I order to lend precessions to their findings. Quantitative data should not be thought of as the exclusive property of theory – testing approach. In theory – constructing field work, quantitative data can be useful for checking theoretical hunches or intuitions that may arise as the researcher becomes more acquainted with a particular topic.
4. Using general theory as a resource for fieldwork. Here the researcher must ask :

a)      How can the work of writers help to illuminate the empirical areas of my research?

b)      How can it help me develop further theoretical ideas? general theory can be used in both, theory – testing and theory – building types of researches