eHRAF is ideal for a variety of research purposes

Systematic cross-cultural research

  • worldwide comparisons
  • regional comparisons
  • comparisons of a type of society (e.g., hunter-gatherers)

Comparative research

  • exploratory look at variation of particular culture traits (e.g., techniques of fishing)
  • contrasting particular cultures
  • comparing prehistoric sequences through time (eHRAF Archaeology)

Archaeological inferences from ethnography

  • looking for uses of a particular tool or structure found in prehistory in the ethnographic record
  • finding an indicator from ethnography to use in the archaeological record (usually employs systematic cross-cultural research)

Single-society study