ABSTRACT

This volume provides an overview of the methodological issues and challenges inherent in the study of small groups from the perspective of seasoned researchers in communication, psychology and other fields in the behavioral and social sciences. It summarizes the current state of group methods in a format that is readable, insightful, and useful for both new and experienced group researchers. This collection of essays will inspire new and established researchers alike to look beyond their current methodological approaches, covering both traditional and new methods for studying groups and exploring the full range of groups in face-to-face and online settings.

The volume will be an important addition to graduate study on group research and will be a valuable reference for established group researchers, consultants and other practitioners. The essays in this volume when considered as a whole will be a contemporary interdisciplinary integration on group research methods.

chapter |5 pages

Group Research Methods

An Introduction

chapter 1|24 pages

Designing for Drift

Planning Ethnographic Qualitative Research on Groups

chapter 5|26 pages

Computer Simulation Methods for Groups

From Formula Translation to Agent-based Modeling

chapter 7|11 pages

Crossing Party Lines

Incorporating Measures of Individual Differences in Groups

chapter 8|22 pages

Studying Team Cognition

The Good, the Bad, and the Practical

chapter 11|12 pages

Interviewing Members of Online Communities

A Practical Guide to Recruiting Participants

chapter 12|24 pages

Bona Fide Groups

A Discourse Perspective

chapter 14|24 pages

Groups and Teams in Organizations

Studying the Multilevel Dynamics of Emergence

chapter 16|18 pages

Analyzing Group Data

chapter 20|24 pages

Interventions in Groups

Methods for Facilitating Team Development