Citation

Bailey KD. Int. J. Mass Emerg. Disasters 1989; 7(3): 419-431.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, International Sociological Association, International Research Committee on Disasters)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Despite some problems, which generally plague all of social research, taxonomy promises large benefits for disaster research. It not only aids in cataloguing, comparison, and research genesis (in its theoretical mode), but also shows similarity, thus facilitating explanation and prediction (in its conjoint mode). Its empirical mode is conducive to computer-aided generation of taxonomies, what might be termed grounded taxonomy. Typological analysis is amazingly complementary to other forms of analysis. Constructing typologies generally does not preclude other analyses, and is generally not particularly expensive nor time-consuming relative to other methods. Rather than being an expensive luxury, typological analysis of disasters is instead a valuable foundation and complement for other forms of analysis, and this valuable tool should not be neglected.