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