ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses the problems and possibilities of inductive analysis and respondent validation for studies using observational data but he will attempt to ground the discussion in his own research in Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) out-patient clinics. He seeks to a description of the inductive method the author adopted, its advantages and short-comings, and its wider applications. The main requirement for inductive analysis is that sufficient data be available for the analyst to be able to examine all the potentially relevant aspects of the research problem. Methods of data-collection should thus ideally be open-ended, failing this the researcher must aim for blanket coverage. There has been some discussion of validation exercises among anthropologists, but the subject has not received much attention in sociological circles. The main requirement for the validation exercise seems to be an adequate level of involvement among respondents in one’s research or a degree of ‘commitment’ to the research topic.
