Reflecting anthropology's deep idiographic disposition, approximately
80 percent of anthropological research falls on the idiographic node of
the idiographic-nomothetic continuum. Increasing numbers of anthropolo
gists, however, are beginning to recognize the importance of cross-cultural,
comparative, nomothetic research. Comparativists use five principal meth
odologies in their research. These research designs vary in their relative
power, i.e. in their ability to eliminate false hypotheses about worldwide
relationships. The power as well as the advantages and disadvantages of
each methodology are discussed.
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