Living Language. Laura M. Ahearn

sort through the data that they have collected in order to detect patterns, interpret meanings, and write up results.

      It is often said that research is partial in both senses of the word – partial as in only part of the full story, and partial as in biased. This absolutely applies to research in linguistic anthropology. What is less often appreciated, however, is that this is true of all experiences that we have in life. Nevertheless, for all its complexities, research in linguistic anthropology can be exhilarating.