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Research by
subdiscipline:

Archaeology
Physical Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Linguistic Anthropology
Methodology

Research by subdiscipline: Methodology     
(since 1990; please see C.V. for full details.)

Articles and Chapters     
(includes selected recent refereed abstracts):

• 1991 Expert Systems (sr. author with Edward Brent, Louanna Furbee), Sage Press, Newbury Park, CA. MONOGRAPH.
  
  
• 2001 Estimating Missing Data: an Iterative Regression Approach (junior author with Brigitte Holt) Journal of Human Evolution, 39: 289-296.
  
  
• n.d. Acceptability of Indigenous and Western Methods of Curing by Herders in the Southern Andes (In Spanish),Benfer RA Jr., Furbee NL., Boletín de Lima, in press.
  
  
• 1999 A test of methods for sex determination for the os coxae using the ID3 algorithm (jr. author with D.G. McBride, M.T. Vennemeyer, M.J. Dietz, and S.A. Meadors), Amer. J. of Phys. Anthrop. Supplement 24:74.28:194.
  
  
• 1997 Where stature estimated from regression of limb bone length is inappropriate. Amer. J. of Phys. Anthrop. Supplement 24:74.
  
  
• 1996 The Emergence of color Cognition from Color Perception (fourth author with N. Louanna Furbee, Kelly Maynard, J. Jerome Smith, Sarah Quick, and Larry Ross) J. of Linguistic Anthropology 6:1-18.
  
  
• 1996 Expert Systems and the Representation of Knowledge (senior author with Louanna Furbee and Edward E. Brent Jr.) American Ethnologist 23:416-420.
  
  
• 1996 Science and Antiscience, Anthropology Newsletter April:75-76.
  
  
• 1996 Can Indigenous Knowledge be Brokered without Scientific Understanding of the Community Structure and Distribution of that Knowledge? (senior author with Louanna Furbee), Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor 4:29-30.
  
  
• 1995 Multiple Linear Discriminant Function, Multidimensional Scaling, and Individual Pathways for Developing Knowledge Based Systems, pp. 464-466 in Proceedings of PACES '95, Ed. by Fan-Lun Xiong, Jae Kyu Lee, and Riichiro Mizoguchi, Publishing House of Electronics Industry, Beijing, China.
  
  
• 1995 A Methodology for Combining Cognitive and Behavioral Research: The Lari Soils Project in Peru, (junior author with David Guillet, Louanna Furbee, and Jon Sandor) , pp. 71-81 . In Indigenous Knowledge Systems: The Cultural Dimension of Development, ed. by M. Warren, J. Slikkerveer, and D. Brokensha
  
  
• 1994 Program Congruence, Fortran Program, is now available in Anthropac 4.7X, Professional Edition, Irvine, Analytic Technologies. (Abstract). Note: This algorithm was earlier modified to become part of Gowerplot (3), by S. E. Hartman.
  
  
• 1994 A Beginning Guide to Expert Systems: II. Implicit Knowledge (junior author with Louanna Furbee), CAM 6:3-4.
  
  
• 1994 Iterative Improvement of Missing Data Estimates (junior author with B. Holt) American Journal of Physical Anthropology Supplement 18, 109-110 (refereed abstract of paper presented at Annual Meetings).
  
  
• 1993 A Beginning Guide to Expert Systems: I. Knowledge Trees (senior author with Louanna Furbee), CAM 5:10-12.
  
  
• 1992 Representing Partly Shared Knowledge in Expert Systems of Terrace Agricultural Systems (senior author with Louanna Furbee), Proceedings of IFAC Workshop on Expert Systems in Agriculture, pp. 35-41, International Academia Publisher, Huangshan, China.
  
  
• 1992 The Value of Expert Systems in Improving Agricultural Production in China, the Institute of Intelligent Machines, Academica Sinica, Heifei, P.R. China. REPORT.
  
  
• 1991 The Principal Axis Method for Measuring Rate and Amount of Dental Attrition: Estimating Juvenile or Adult Tooth Wear from Unaged Adult Teeth (senior author with Daniel S. Edwards), Dental Anthropology, ed. by M. Kelly and Clark Larson, Riss, Ch. 18, pp. 325-340.
  
  
• 1991 Cognitive Factors Influencing Women to Seek Care during Pregnancy (third author with Fisher, Mary Jo, Bernard Ewigman, James Campbell, Louanna Furbee, and Steven Zweig), Family Medicine 23:443-426 (with Editorial).
  
  
• 1990 Knowledge Acquisition—Lessons from Anthropology, AI Applications in Natural Resource Management 4:19-26 (senior author with L. Furbee; reprint of Benfer and Furbee 1989).

Field Work      

• July-August 1992, Huangshan, China Expert systems agricultural applications in China.
  
  
• August 1990, collection of ethnographic materials for the expert systems of field management project, Lari, Perú , L. Furbee, director.
  
  

Research Support     

• 1996 MU Computer Spectrum: Technology Teaching Grant for the Department of Anthropology, f96,w96, $ 5,864, Robert A. Benfer, Jr..
• 1996 MU General Education Program: Information Technology for the Social Sciences (with Gail S. Ludwig and Edward Brent), $12,000 total of which $6,000 assigned to RAB.
• 1995 Academica Sinica, P.R. China. International Travel support to attend and co-chair a session PACES'95, Huangshan, P.R. China, May 1995, invited paper. $1000.
• 1992 China Center for Economic Development and The Institute of Intelligent Machines, Academica Sinica: Reconnaissance in Huangshan Province, China, feasibility study for future work in application of expert systems to improving agriculture; travel, $3200.
• 1990-1991 MU Agronomy Integrated Pest Management: An Expert System, School of Agriculture, MU, co-project director with Louanna Furbee, $16,000.