AANK13012U Fieldwork

Volume 2013/2014
Content

The MSc programme in Anthropology culminates in the fieldwork project, which will be the basis of the student’s Master’s Thesis. The fieldwork project is planned and carried out independently by student, according to the guidelines specified in the Fieldwork Synopsis. Fieldwork can take place in a variety of socio-cultural contexts. The student can freely choose the location and specific theme for the Fieldwork and his/her choice is only limited by research-ethical and safety conditions.

The Fieldwork can be executed individually or in small groups. It can be a part of a larger research project or take the form of a project-oriented work (internship).

The fieldwork counts as a course for which the student must register. The student decides when he/she wants to start the fieldwork, though it should be during the 1st-8th week of the semester. The fieldwork must last 14-16 weeks. The field report must be written immediately following the fieldwork, and the writing should take approx. 2 weeks. The field report must be handed in at the exam period.

During Fieldwork, students must gather data using anthropological methods. Relevant material must also be collated for the purpose of contextualising the main body of data collated. Halfway through the fieldwork, the student has the possibility to send a letter from the field with reflections on the fieldwork to the student’s supervisor. Length: 1-3 pages.

When the fieldwork is executed within the context of a private business or organisation, a contract must be drawn up and signed by the student, the organisation and the Department of Anthropology. The student signs the contract in cooperation with the Fieldwork coordinator. This contract ensures the student's right to generate data while carrying out Project-oriented work (internship) or Fieldwork, sets down guidelines for the use and publication of data, and outlines procedures that are to be followed should disagreements arise between the student and the company/organisation. The contract must be approved and signed by the relevant parties and must as far as possible be handed in as an appendix to the synopsis. Students can find a standard agreement for cooperation with 3rd parties on the student intranet.

Field Report

The field report should include a brief explanation of the original problem statement (from the Field methods synopsis), and explain if any changes has been made to the original statement. The report must specify the geographic and socio-cultural context for the studies, as well as briefly describe what happened during the Field work, including the data that was collected through the used method, and how this data helps us investigate the problem statement. Finally the report must include a discussion of the validity and analytical potential of the collected data, as well as ethical issues related to the Field work.

Learning Outcome

Upon completing Fieldwork, the students must write an academic Field report. The Field report should be written in a clear language, be lucidly argued and exhibit that the student is capable of:

 

  • conducting anthropological Fieldwork based on a problem statement formulated by the student
  • presenting the purpose, location, context, course, and relevance of the fieldwork in the research question as well as explaining the reason for any changes in the problem formulation
  • discussing methodological choices and their relation to analytical objects and empirical context with a focus on the data obtained
  • reflecting upon an appropriate presentation of the data (i.e. choosing one of the four possible thesis models)
  • identifying, justifying and presenting analytical perspectives in the empirical material
  • reflecting upon ethical questions concerning the fieldwork.



Students must also fulfil the Department of Anthropology's form and language requirements (see the curriculum 4.3.3 for more about form and language requirements).

Students must pass the course Field Methods with Synopsis before they can commence Fieldwork and submit their Field Report.
Masterclass in writing field reports. We begin the masterclass with briefly discussing what each student focused on during his/her fieldwork. The lecturer then outlines the expectations for a field report, after which we will open for questions related to the field report. Examples of Field Reports can be found at the course page in Absalon.

Students can furthermore contact the fieldwork coordinator for guidance during the Fieldwork.

The student’s supervisor will give written comments on the letter from the field, and can offer feedback on the field report in form of a short conversation of approx. 20 minutes. If the fieldwork is carried out as a group, the feedback extends to approx. 30 minutes.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Field Work
  • 825
  • Total
  • 825
Credit
30 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Written paper: Field Report
The Field Report is submitted individually unless students have executed Fieldwork as a group. Read more about the rules for group examinations in the curriculum 4.3.2.

Length: min. 27.000 and max. 33.000 keystrokes for an individual report. For group reports, plus min. 6.300 and max. 7.700 keystrokes per extra group member.
Exam registration requirements
Students must pass the course Field Methods with Synopsis before they can commence Fieldwork and submit their Field Report.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam
1st Re-examination
A new field report is submitted at the announced date. The student must participate in the examination in order to be eligible for re-examination. The student must register for the re-examination.
2nd Re-examination
A new field report is submitted at the next exam period on a prescribed date. The student must register for the exam.
Criteria for exam assesment
See description of aims