Description
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD Disasters in Field Research Preparing for and Coping with Unexpected Events 2015 Edition by Gillian H. Ice, Darna L. Dufour, Nancy J. Stevens
From ravenous ants and temperamental gear to debilitating illness and unpredictable politics, field research can be fraught with challenges and opportunities for mishap. Disasters in Field Research is your guide to what can go wrong while conducting fieldwork-and what you can do to avoid or minimize the impact of unexpected events.Ice, Dufour, and Stevens address the issues confronting both students and professional researchers as they embark on field research. For example, permits may be difficult to obtain-or even revoked at the last minute. Cultural differences and misunderstandings can disrupt data collection. Equipment can be held up by customs-or fail to work as expected. The authors offer practical advice on preparing for such possibilities, while active researchers from a wide array of disciplines relate, in brief first-person narratives, their own encounters with disaster, how they solved (or failed to solve) the problem, and their recommendations for avoiding similar issues in the future. Each thematic chapter concludes with strategies and suggestions for making the most of your preparations, recovering from missteps, and coping with calamity. The result is an excellent companion book for field methods courses in a variety of disciplines-and an excellent companion to carry with you into the field. Table of contents :- List of Boxes and Figures1-Introduction2-Oh, the Permission, Permits, and Approvals You Will Need: Research PermissionsPermissions to Study the LivingPermission to do Research in Host Country: VisasPermissions from Host Country InstitutionsPermission from the Local CommunityAnd . . . Consent from the Subjects ThemselvesEven Research on Inanimate Objects Requires PermitsPermits, Permits, and More PermitsSuggestions and Strategies3-"And you may ask yourself-Well . . . how did I get here?": Fieldwork LogisticsPermission to Enter the CountryGetting to the Field DestinationLocal TransportMoneyWhere Do You Stay?CommunicationsTransporting Equipment and Data to and from the FieldSuggestions and Strategies4-My Equipment Is Possessed and the Dog Ate My Notebook: Managing Equipment and DataIs the Equipment "Field Friendly"?Recording Data in the FieldGood to Know Before You GoKeeping Everything WorkingSuggestions and Strategies5-Where Have They All Gone?: Participant Recruitment and RetentionSamplingHabituation of Animal SubjectsRecruitment of Human ParticipantsGatekeepersLocal InsightsPolitics and HistoryRetention of SubjectsSuggestions and Strategies6-I'm Not a Witch: Cultural Misunderstandings in the FieldLanguageCultural NormsSuspicions of Outsiders or GovernmentResearch MisunderstandingsSensitive TopicsGender IssuesDiffering Expectations of Researcher and SubjectsAvoiding Cultural MishapsSuggestions and Strategies7-I'm in the Middle of a War Zone: Safety and SecurityThe Fluid Nature of RiskTheft and Interpersonal ViolenceFieldwork in Conflict Zones and Other Dangerous PlacesPerceptions and SuspicionsWhy Work in Dangerous Places?Suggestions and Strategies8-What Do I Do When Struck by Lightning? Maintaining Health in the FieldWhy Be Concerned about Your Health?Travelers' DiarrheaFebrile IllnessVector-Borne InfectionsOther Infectious DiseasesThe ExoticsSkin ProblemsHealth Risks: Large FaunaHealth Risks: Human-Induced Accidents/InjuriesHealth Risks: EnvironmentalMental Health in the FieldThe Problems You Bring with YouSuggestions and Strategies9-Is Fieldwork for Me?: Assessing Your Inclination for FieldworkAn Interest in Travel and AdventureGritTolerance of AmbiguityBeing OK with Being AwayAbility to Accept the Way Things AreFamilyIntellectual Challenges and SatisfactionsCamping-Literally and FigurativelyFoodGoing Alone or Taking a TeamHow Long Do I Keep Working?Suggestions and StrategiesIndexAbout the Authors