HKKK00037U Qualitative Methods: Fieldwork and interviewing

The course introduces the various options for conducting qualitative research and of the implications those options have for subsequent analysis and writing. It guides participants through the methodological literature and prepare them for making informed and sensible decisions in choosing, applying, and adjusting methods and techniques when conducting fieldwork. It also will help you to develop the skills which might be required in your future work (e.g. effectively planning your work over an extended period, deploy appropriated research methods and techniques, identifying and utilization of materials and effective communication). During the course we will review the core methods of anthropological fieldwork: various interview techniques, (participant) observation, elicitation techniques, and document collection. Moreover, we will discuss various difficulties of doing fieldwork, including selection of cases and informants, self-presentation, establishing rapport, ethical dilemmas and dealing with boredom, stress, and negative reactions. Special attention is paid to the linkages between research and knowledge, and thus to the question of how fieldwork relates to the analysis that ultimately needs to be written. Proper preparation for this task will define, to an important degree, your success in writing a final field report.