Ethnographic Decision Tree Modeling (Qualitative Research Methods)

Educators want to know why university enrollment by Blacks is decreasing. Psychologists at a drug rehabilitation center want to know how kids decide what drugs to use, and how they decide to switch from soft to hard drugs. Sociologists in a Women′s Studies Center want to know why women′s groups disband so frequently. What do all these people have in common? They want to know why people in a certain group behave the way they do. More importantly, they need to know the specific decision criteria used by the group in question. Ethnographic Decision Tree Modeling presents a practical method for answering these questions. From starting research to testing and verifying results, this handy volume takes you step-by-step through this unique research process. Gladwin summarizes rules of interviewing, outlines the uses of contrast questions and quantitative data, and shows how to develop a decision tree model. In addition, common problems and errors are pointed out and various applications of the method are presented. "Offers an interesting data modeling device for organizing and interpreting every process of decision making, risk and benefit analysis and rule bending." --Nexus: The Canadian Student Journal of Anthropology