Designed for use as supplementary instructional material in a cultural anthropology course, this learning module focuses on the purposes and methods of anthropological fieldwork, and provides an overview of the types of research in which anthropologists engage during their field studies. The module begins by discussing the purpose of participant observation as a means of penetrating the most visible traits of a culture in order to understand the various social relationships and institutional complexes underpinning social structure. Academic preparation, a comprehension of language, and offical permission, as well as permission from the subject group, are then highlighted as important prerequisites in conducting field studies. The module also discusses moral and ethical questions involved in conducting fieldwork, such as the researchers' responsibility for presenting a realistic account of current conditions among a population along with the more specific findings of the research. The next section focuses on the common tools and techniques of the anthropologist, including census taking and area mapping, interviews, kinship records, psychological tests, and video and audio recordings. Finally, the module contrasts journals, the traditional tool of anthropologists, with computers, and underscores the importance of a knowledge of statistical analysis and methodologies. Performance activities covering the content of the module are appended. (EJV)