Russel-Research-Method-in-Anthropology

Qualitative Data Analysis II: Models and Matrices 533
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
Rule 1
Child has blood stools OR child has swollen glands OR child is vomiting
take child to doctor.
Rule 2
diarrhea is caused by empacho
give physical treatment.
Rule 3
previous rules do not apply OR there is no cure with empacho treatment
give the highest preferred curing treatment that meets
constraints.
Rule 4
previous treatment did not stop diarrhea
compare the two highest treatments of remaining options.
Rule 4.1
one is a curing remedy AND meets its constraints
give this treatment.
Rule 4.2
both or neither are curing remedies AND each meets its respective constraints
give the highest raked preference.
Rule 5
IF the previous treatment did not stop the diarrhea AND
the episode is less than 1 week
THEN repeat rule 4
IF
THEN
Rule 6
the episode has lasted more than 1 week
take the child to a doctor.
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
IF
THEN
Constraints
you know how to make ORS (oral rehydration solution) AND
your child will drink ORS
give ORS
you know a medication that works for diarrhea AND
you have it in the house
give the pill or liquid medication.
you know a medication that works for diarrhea AND
it is cheap AND
it is easy to obtain.
give the pill or liquid medication.
Figure 18.4. Ryan and Martínez’s decision model as a series of IF-THEN rules.
SOURCE: G. W. Ryan and H. Martínez, ‘‘Can We Predict What Mothers Do? Modeling Childhood Diarrhea
in Rural Mexico,’’ Human Organization, Vol. 55, pp. 47–57, 1996. Reprinted with permission of the Society
for Applied Anthropology.