Disasters in Field Research: Preparing for and Coping with Unexpected Events

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.

Gillian H. Ice is associate professor of social medicine and director of global health at Ohio University's College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Health Sciences and Professions. Darna L. Dufour is professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Nancy J. Stevens is professor of functional morphology and vertebrate paleontology at Ohio University.