Unpacking Fieldwork

  • Pankhuri Agarwal (Organiser)
  • Marc Pinol Rovira (Organiser)
  • Karina G Garcia (Organiser)

Activity: Participating in or organising an event typesParticipation in workshop, seminar, course

Description

Fieldwork is a crucial stage for many doctoral researchers and early career researchers. It often shapes and reshapes the nature of research and the researchers themselves. When fieldwork takes place in challenging settings such as(post)conflict societies, when respondents are from less favoured backgrounds, or when power relations are unequal, to name a few, the volume of academic and personal preparation required can be a daunting task. Moreover, the specificity of each research topic makes fieldwork a unique experience. This can often leave researchers isolated because of an inadequacy of training or literature to rely on. Therefore, there is a need to address the challenges and failures that fieldwork in a challenging setting can entail to provide support to novice researchers and make fieldwork a rewarding experience. In view of this, this initiative aims to: 
1) address the various issues in fieldwork related to logistics, methods, gender and identity, power relations, ethics and security, and well-being through a series of seminars, coffee discussions and a resource hub for networking and knowledge sharing through a website (coming soon!);
2) prioritise not only the sharing of common fieldwork related concerns but also the sharing of context-specific personal experiences, successes and failures, general advice and/or questions by the participants;
3) create a safe and confidential space (for PhDs and ECRs) away from the regular academic setting to talk about sensitive topics, seek advice, share experiences and, above all, create and strengthen the community of researchers who can continue these conversations.
PeriodJan 2020 → …
Event typeOther
Degree of RecognitionNational

Keywords

  • fieldwork