Abstract
This chapter discusses the various steps involved in carrying out a research project, focusing primarily on the impact that cultural factors can have on this process. For general guidance on research methodology, we recommend readers look at books such as Denscombe (2007) or Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias (1996).
Cross-cultural research is not for the fainthearted.
Teagarden et al. 1995: 1262
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Suggestions for further reading
Denscombe, M. (2007) The Good Research Guide for Small-Scale Social Research Projects, 3rd edn. Buckingham: Open University Press. This accessible book is useful for those who want to learn more about research methods in general. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the main approaches to social research and the methods most commonly used by researchers in the social sciences.
Easterby-Smith, M. and Malina, D. (1999) Cross-cultural collaborative research: Toward reflectivity. The Academy of Management Journal, 42 (1): 76–86. This article provides fascinating insights into the challenges experienced by a Chinese–UK research team during a collaborative research project.
Kasper, G. (2008) Data collection in pragmatics research. In H. Spencer-Oatey (ed.) Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory, 2nd edn, pp. 279–303. London: Continuum. This chapter provides an excellent overview and critical discussion of many different types of methods for the collection of culture-comparative and culture-interactional data.
Marra, M. (2008) Recording and analysing talk across cultures. In H. Spencer-Oatey (ed.) Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory, 2nd edn, pp. 304–21. London: Continuum. This chapter provides an insightful account of the issues faced by researchers when collecting and analysing data from culturally different communities.
Matsumoto, D. and Juang, L. (2008) Culture and Psychology, 4th edn. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Chapter 2 of this book, ‘Cross-cultural research methods,’ provides an excellent introduction to the features of research design that need to be taken into account in cross-cultural research.
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© 2009 Helen Spencer-Oatey and Peter Franklin
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Spencer-Oatey, H., Franklin, P. (2009). Culture and the Research Process. In: Intercultural Interaction. Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230244511_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230244511_11
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
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