Tag Archives: fieldwork
Harassment and assault: ‘Disheartening’ trends
By Paul Smaglik
The belief that rules of workplace conduct don’t apply away from a university setting helps to perpetuate a culture that gives rise to sexual assault and harassment of female scientists conducting field research, says a co-author of a report published this month in American Anthropologist.
Preparing researchers to manage traumatic research
Studying traumatic events comes with its own risks – the scientific establishment needs to be doing more to protect researchers, says Dale Dominey-Howes and Danielle Drozdzewski.
One of the authors interviews survivors a few days after the September 2009 South Pacific tsunami in the rubble of their communities in Samoa, as part of the UNESCO post-tsunami survey team reporting into the Prime Minister and King of Samoa. “It was a hard day for all of us,” says Dale Dominey-Howes.
What’s the issue and why is it important?
Earth is destabilizing rapidly. Terrorism, conflict, genocide, human displacement, socio-economic disruption, rapid global environmental change, slow emergencies and natural disasters are more common than at any point in history. Consequently, opportunities exist for researchers to investigate the causes, consequences and potential management solutions arising from this instability. For this to happen, we need a well-trained workforce equipped with the skills and capabilities to work with ‘traumatic’ research content, people and places. Continue reading
Fieldwork fails: A polar bear stand-off
Russian researchers saved from becoming an easy meal for hungry predators
Polar bears investigate the submarine USS Honolulu 450 kilometres (280 mi) from the North Pole in 2003{credit}U.S. Navy footage/video{/credit}
The great outdoors
Summer is here in most parts of the world, and that means fieldwork for many junior (and senior) researchers. But journeying afar for days or weeks, though crucial for your research programme, can also mean a lot of prep work, hassle and unforeseen glitches.
{credit}Claire Asher{/credit}
How do you navigate these trips if you have children? What should you expect and prepare for if you’ll be living in close quarters with colleagues whom you may not know very well? How do you handle arduous endeavours like scaling mountains or climbing trees?