ABSTRACT
Qualitative research differs from survey research in that it positions research closer to the natural setting, granting a more active role to respondents in the research process and focusing on discovery. A preferred policy research approach integrates the flexibility of qualitative research to study dynamic situations about which there is limited knowledge of expected outcomes and the descriptive power of quantitative studies to detail phenomena in large, heterogeneous populations. Field studies provide local policymakers information on the needs and implementation concerns of their constituency population. Fieldwork can assist policy researchers in designing national surveys by determining important variation at the local and regional levels. Field research helps to identify community members who will cooperate in answering a preliminary survey and discuss the shortcomings and merits of the instrument's items and instructions. Preliminary ethnographic research allows investigators to assess the concerns, beliefs, knowledge, and viewpoints of those who hold a stake in policy issues and helps to frame the research problem.
