Sample Entries for an Annotated Bibliography
about Applied Research Methods
Belcher, John G., Jr., Productivity Plus+. Houston, London,
Paris, Tokyo: Gulf Publishing Company, ?. An excellent
source of information on how to conduct a survey of
employees within a company/organization to derive the
biggest boost to morale. The book suggests that if an
organization chooses to issue a survey to employees,
the organization had better be prepared to provide
feedback and take action on what has been suggested lest
staff members become distrustful of management's inten-
tions. On page 90, surveys are contrasted with other forms
of employee involvement such as "suggestion" systems which,
themselves, are described. How to assemble surveys is not
a part of this book. (Lenkos)
Bollens, John D., and Marshall, Dale Rogers. A guide to Partici-
pation - Fieldwork, Role Playing Cases and other Forms.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1973. A com-
prehensive approach to participant observation with valuable
suggestions for topic selection, question formulation, and
field work methodology. It adds a unique twist to observa-
tion techniques by exposing the researcher to the complexity
of real problems through role playing. (Mendoza)
Churchill, Gilbert A., Jr. Marketing Research Methodological
Foundations. ??: The Dryden Press, 1987. Chapter 6, "Data
Collection: Primary Data," offers a 60-page overview of
survey methods -- measuring attitudes, opinions, awareness,
knowledge, intentions, and motivations. Discusses struc-
tured and unstructured questionnaires -- personal, tele-
phone and mail methods. Includes helpful examples of
Ray-O-Vac Corporation on the subject of portable lighting
fixtures. Complete book is 900 pages, written as an intro-
ductory text for college students. (Cannell)
Cooperrider, David L., and Srivastva, Suresh. "Appreciative
Inquiry in Organizational Life." Research in Organiza-
tional Change and Development (Vol.I, 1987): 129-169.
This article, by two of the leading creators and prac-
tioners of Appreciative Inquiry, lays the theoretical
base for this innovative organizational research method-
ology and describes the ways to employ it in actual
organizational investigation.
The authors describe the method of Appreciative Inquiry
as action research and not only demonstrate how the
method can lead toward imaginative organizational enhance-
ments, but also how it can advance theoretical knowledge
of consequence. The Appreciative Inquiry approach, instead
of being problem-driven, views organizational life as a
wonder to behold, causing both the researcher and the sub-
jects of the research to gain a new appreciation for the
existence of the organization.
The philosophical base underlying Appreciative Inquiry
asserts that through one's assumptions and choices of
research method, one largely creates the world that is
later discovered. Appreciative Inquiry is a scientific
mode to view the world as a cup half-filled rather than
half-empty. (Troxel)
Greenbaum, Tom. "Getting More Out of Focus Groups." Cable
Marketing (April, 1988): 34-36. Good basic overview of
focus groups identifying rules for conducting this form
of research. This broadstroke approach effectively provides
the researcher with guidelines for focus group set-up and
key points of focus. However, in-depth information is not
provided and little on the actual interview process is in-
cluded. The researcher seeking additional information may
wish to review the author's book entitled The Practical
Handbook and Guide to Focus Group Research, D.C.Heath
and Company, 1988. (Copel-Naval)
Spradley, James P. The Ethnographic Interview. New York: Holt,
Rinehart, and Winston, 1979. An excellent, step-by-step
approach to "culture" research which allows the subject
group the opportunity to explain and define themselves while
keeping the bias of the researcher at arm's length. A parti-
cularly useful technique for community/social workers, edu-
cators, ministers, human resource professionals and innova-
tors/consultants in marketing and business who need to
understand the richness of the human community with which
they interact. Gives an easy-to-follow qualitative model
with each chapter adding another technique of gathering,
recording, or analyzing the information collected. Several
steps (8 - taxonomic analysis; 9 - asking contrast ques-
tions; 10 - componential analysis) are not necessary except
for the serious ethnographer. A former employee noted simi-
larities between the "informational interview" utilized in
community organizing and thought the model set out in this
book would make it more effective. She was right - too bad
it took this long to read it! (Smith)
The Four Questions of the
Literature Review
Whether or not your project involves the writing of a formal literature review (the Master Work will,
but probably only a few of the projects in the Focus Area will), as a result of your examination of
existing literature you should be able to answer four questions:
1. Who are the "big names" in issues related to your work? The "big names" will have done
much of the basic research or will have formulated important theory upon which the research of
others has been based. They will be the names referred to and quoted in what you read and will
show up regularly and frequently in bibliographies.
2. What are the currently accepted ideas/explanations concerning your work? Within what
paradigms are people currently operating?
3. What are the burning controversies? What are the issues on which the experts disagree?
4. If there is not much literature to review, why?
As a basic rule of thumb, start with the most recent references and read backward in time. You can
stop when every new thing you pick up says something you've already read.
Serial No.
Author(s)
Title of article/book:
Journal title
Vol. No. Month Year Pages
Place of publication, publisher, date, edition (books only)
Library where located: Call No.
Source of bibliographic information
How item relates to research question
Additional notes: