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.
List of Boxes and Figures 1-Introduction 2-Oh, the Permission, Permits, and Approvals You Will Need: Research Permissions Permissions to Study the Living Permission to do Research in Host Country: Visas Permissions from Host Country Institutions Permission from the Local Community And . . . Consent from the Subjects Themselves Even Research on Inanimate Objects Requires Permits Permits, Permits, and More Permits Suggestions and Strategies 3-"And you may ask yourself-Well . . . how did I get here?": Fieldwork Logistics Permission to Enter the Country Getting to the Field Destination Local Transport Money Where Do You Stay? Communications Transporting Equipment and Data to and from the Field Suggestions and Strategies 4-My Equipment Is Possessed and the Dog Ate My Notebook: Managing Equipment and Data Is the Equipment "Field Friendly"? Recording Data in the Field Good to Know Before You Go Keeping Everything Working Suggestions and Strategies 5-Where Have They All Gone?: Participant Recruitment and Retention Sampling Habituation of Animal Subjects Recruitment of Human Participants Gatekeepers Local Insights Politics and History Retention of Subjects Suggestions and Strategies 6-I'm Not a Witch: Cultural Misunderstandings in the Field Language Cultural Norms Suspicions of Outsiders or Government Research Misunderstandings Sensitive Topics Gender Issues Differing Expectations of Researcher and Subjects Avoiding Cultural Mishaps Suggestions and Strategies 7-I'm in the Middle of a War Zone: Safety and Security The Fluid Nature of Risk Theft and Interpersonal Violence Fieldwork in Conflict Zones and Other Dangerous Places Perceptions and Suspicions Why Work in Dangerous Places? Suggestions and Strategies 8-What Do I Do When Struck by Lightning? Maintaining Health in the Field Why Be Concerned about Your Health? Travelers' Diarrhea Febrile Illness Vector-Borne Infections Other Infectious Diseases The Exotics Skin Problems Health Risks: Large Fauna Health Risks: Human-Induced Accidents/Injuries Health Risks: Environmental Mental Health in the Field The Problems You Bring with You Suggestions and Strategies 9-Is Fieldwork for Me?: Assessing Your Inclination for Fieldwork An Interest in Travel and Adventure Grit Tolerance of Ambiguity Being OK with Being Away Ability to Accept the Way Things Are Family Intellectual Challenges and Satisfactions Camping-Literally and Figuratively Food Going Alone or Taking a Team How Long Do I Keep Working? Suggestions and Strategies Index About the Authors
