Chapter 7: Personal Issues

Personal Issues

Researchers embarking on development fieldwork for the first time are often, understandably, nervous. Yes, you will face many challenges; yes, you may have no experience in the communities/countries where you will conduct fieldwork; and yes, you may have no idea of how others you require information or assistance from will respond. If we let our imaginations run loose, the fears we can dream up are endless. However, Wolcott (2005: 88) advises us to ‘Rest easy’, pointing out that almost all researchers whose interests lead them to do development fieldwork return with invaluable experiences and more than sufficient data to complete their inquiries. A person undertaking fieldwork for the first time will lack experience, but brings with them a ...