Abstract
Field research is an important aspect of any empirical social study. Field research can be challenging, exciting as well as rewarding and daunting too. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the meaning and importance of field research and to provide a basic understanding to the new researcher who wants to conduct field research about the process of field research. While the chapter highlight the common field research practices, it will also discuss the potential tensions, dilemmas and challenges that may encounter during field research and the possible strategies needed to address them. This chapter argues that researcher should be sensitive and careful regarding reflexivity, positionality, and the relations of power during field research in order to conduct an emancipatory, democratic, and culturally sensitive field research. Such activity includes greater attention to the openness about the purpose of the research and activities undertaken, self-disclosure, mutual sharing of information, and explicit recognition of the expertise of the participant that they gained through lived experiences.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Davis, R. (1984). The fole of the Gorontological Nurse in the case of Elderly. Socioeconomic Planning, 19(4), 279–288.
Emerson, R. (2001). Contemporary field research: Perspective and Formulations. Waveland Pr. Inc.
Haraway, D. (1991).Siminascybrogs and women: The reinvention of nature. Routledge.
Harding, S. (1991). Whose science? Whose knowledge? Cornell University Press.
Hartsock, N. (1987). The feminist standpoint:Developing the ground for a specifically feminist historical Materialism. In Harding S(Ed.), Feminism and methodology (p.157–180). University of Indiana Press.
Herr, K., & Anderson, G. L. (2006). The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty. Sage Publications.
Israel, M., & Lain, H. (2006). Reseach ethics for social scientists: between ethical conduct and regulatory compliance. Sage.
Kobayashi, A. (1994). Coloring the field: Gender, race and the politics of fieldwork. The Professional Geographer, 46, 73–79.
Kosygina, L. (2005). Doing gender in research: Reflection on experience in field. The Qualitative Report, 10(1), 87–95.
Lal, J. (1996). Situating locations: The politics of self, identity and other in living and writing the texts. In D. Wolfs (Ed.), Feminist diallemmas in fieldwork (pp. 185–214). Westview Press.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. (2006). Designing qualitative research. Sage.
Neuman, B. (2001). The knowledge gap: Implications for early education. University of Michigan Press.
Phoenix, A. (1994). Practising feminist research: The intersection of gender and ‘race’ in the research process. In M. Maynard & J. Purvis (Eds.), Researching women’s lives from a feminist perspective (pp. 49–71). Taylor and Francis limited.
Punch, K. F. (2005). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage
Schatzman and Strauss. (1973). Development field work: A practical guide (p. 170). Sage.
Scott, S., Miller, F., & Lloyd, K. (2005). Doing fieldwork in development geography: Researh culture and research spaces in Vietnam. Geographical Research, 44(1), 28–40.
Wahab, S. (2003). Creating knowledge collaboratively with female sex workers: Insights from a qualitative, feminist and participatory study. Qualitative Inquiry, 9, 625–642.
Wax, M., & Wax, R. (1980). Fieldwork and the research process. John Wiley & Sons.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Abul Hossen, M. (2022). Fieldwork for Data Collection: Preparation and Challenges. In: Islam, M.R., Khan, N.A., Baikady, R. (eds) Principles of Social Research Methodology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_33
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_33
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-5219-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-19-5441-2
eBook Packages: Social Sciences