Ethnographic fieldwork and formal linguistic analysis have traditionally been thought to be diametrically opposed. In this provocative analysis Peter Manning argues that these methods of qualitative research are complementary.After examining the potential benefits and limitations of each method of analysis, the author shows how a synthesis of the two is more powerful than either alone. The formalism of semiotics adds breadth and depth to the particularism of traditional fieldwork; and the many details of ethnographic description give semiotic analysis a more realistic perspective.