James S. Coleman African Studies Center

This essay deals with several themes and sub-themes that were very significant and pertinent in the discussion of field research and methodology in the study of the geography of Africa in the 1970s. Professor Thomas raises the questions of the apparent paucity of theoretical conceptualizations in geography and the goals of the study of geography. Geography is like all the other social sciences that have already begun to employ an interdisciplinary methodological approach. Very interesting indeed is the discussion of the nature of and the variations in field data. These, of course, are concomitant with the types of study undertaken by the researcher.