Scientific research requires academics to be meticulous at every stage of their work. Of all these stages, fieldwork is one that demands the greatest care.
Developing a clear strategy, setting out guidelines and, above all, establishing a protocol for data collection and presentation will be essential if you are working on an article or a thesis that requires this kind of fieldwork.
At Tesis Doctorales Online, we want to support you right from the start of your research. That’s why, before you consider having your thesis printed by us, we’ll explain what fieldwork involves and what you need to bear in mind when planning your research project.
Fieldwork in research processes
Fieldwork refers to all activities aimed at gathering key data for research by collecting it directly from the real-world environment. This data collection is carried out primarily in fields such as sociology, psychology, education and anthropology.
This stage of academic projects takes place outside the laboratory or office and requires an observational approach, following a data collection protocol established in advance as part of the research design.
These tasks are usually carried out as part of keeping a field diary. In this document, the researcher will keep a detailed record of the activities undertaken, as well as any difficulties encountered, reflections and other relevant information.
This information-gathering task can be carried out in accordance with various methodologies already established in sectors where fieldwork is routinely conducted:
- Exploratory research. This is the initial exploration of a new topic, concept or scenario about which there is little academic knowledge.
- Descriptive research. It aims to clearly highlight the common features of a social group, civilisation, age group or phenomenon under study.
- Explanatory research. The aim is to draw conclusions about why certain phenomena occur in the groups or contexts under study. The aim is to identify the cause-and-effect relationship underlying these phenomena.
Key points for organising a rigorous and feasible project
When planning fieldwork, researchers must bear in mind that they are undertaking academic or scientific work. It is therefore essential to follow the guidelines established by previous research in their field.
Generally speaking, professionals in the fields of medicine, sociology, history or psychology—areas where fieldwork and field diaries are commonly used—follow some basic rules when organising these field surveys:
- Planning. Fieldwork requires a comprehensive and meticulous planning process beforehand, during which data collection methods, the sample population and so on are designed.
- Fieldwork. This is the real fieldwork. During this phase, research teams visit the site to be studied in order to collect the data required for the research.
- Margin of error. It is advisable to establish margins of error when taking samples; in this way, the researcher safeguards against any discrepancies that may arise between the data and reality.
- Interpretative analysis. The information gathered during fieldwork must be analysed, discussed and scrutinised in order to reach conclusions that either support or refute the study’s thesis.
From the field to the desk: what to do with the data collected
The interpretative analysis of the data collected during fieldwork is the real aim of this task.
Once the researcher has reached the appropriate conclusions, they must present their findings in accordance with the standard conventions of the scientific community. If the work is part of a thesis, they may complete their research and submit it to the examination board, after having it bound and printed, in order to obtain their long-awaited academic degree.
