NIFK23006U Practicing Interdisciplinary Field Research on the Environment

This course gives students the opportunity to gain skills in designing, implementing and reporting on field research on natural resources/environment/agriculture in interdisciplinary groups. The course emphasizes the application of both qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used in the natural and social sciences. Students will experience the difficulties, trade-offs, limitations and possible benefits of applying various methods in real-world situations while working on their research project, which addresses a relevant natural resource/environmental/agricultural problem/issue.

The main objective of this course is for students to gain experience of the research process in its entirety: from identifying and formulating a research question; preparing a research design; planning and implementing data collection; analyzing data; writing an academic report; and presenting/defending the report. The course gives students the possibility to appreciate how different approaches to data collection affect the findings obtained and to reflect upon the material gathered (or not gathered) from the specific methods used. Additionally, an important aim is to create awareness of research ethics.

The course includes undertaking a (small) research project and about two weeks of field research (data collection), typically in the Global South. The course commences with three weeks of preparation in Denmark. With the point of departure in broad thematic areas identified by the lecturers, a specific/given field site and logistical setup, students work in interdisciplinary groups to prepare a synopsis, which describes the research problem, the research question(s) and the data collection methods to be applied during the fieldwork. The synopsis forms part of the final assessment. During the 10/11 days of fieldwork, the student groups refine their research design and apply relevant methods to collect the data necessary to answer their research questions. On return from the field, the student groups write a report (approximately three weeks) on their research findings, which constitutes the basis for an oral group exam. During the fieldwork/data collection, the student groups work closely with student groups from partner universities (see below); they share the collected data, but the student groups from this course and those from partner universities prepare separate reports, and assessment is also separate.  

The course is a collaboration between the Department of Food and Resource Economics (UCPH), Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (UCPH), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (UCPH), and Department of People and Technology (RUC). The consortium has since 1998 carried out interdisciplinary field courses in collaboration with university partners in Malaysia, Kenya, Thailand, South Africa, Cambodia, Indonesia, Swaziland and Botswana. New partners and countries may be added as the collaboration evolves. If fieldwork in a particular year takes place in more than one country, students will be given the option to indicate their preferred choice (but cannot be guaranteed). The course attracts students from various study programmes as well as exchange students. 

The course runs in Block 3 (February-April). For logistical and planning purposes, students interested in following the course should register before the end of October the year before. Check the specific date at www.sluse.dk where the registration form is also found. In addition to this registration, students must enrol in the course following the normal enrollment procedures and deadlines.