This week was the start of data collection for a new women's artisan skill training project. We spent 2 days in the field pilot testing the survey to determine which questions make sense and which ones are either too confusing or complicated for the interviewees to respond to. Getting to this point has taught me that the realities of fieldwork can’t be taught in a classroom or learned through reading a book.
Here’s what you don't learn in grad school:
1. What to do when your translator who has been working with you for the past 2 months, quits 2 days before you start data collection
2. How to problem solve printing your survey the day before leaving for the field upon discovering that...
The survey you just spent hours formatting can’t be printed because the flash drive you’ve been using for 2 months without problems decided to die today so you’re unable to get your document from your computer to the desktop to print.
Forget the flash drive, you can email the document to a colleague to print from their computer! Except the extremely reliable wifi at the office decided to stop working.
After spending almost an hour waiting for your cell phone’s mobile hotspot to load your gmail inbox so you can send the document to your colleague, the power goes out so although she received your email she can no longer print the survey.
3. How to ensure logistics are in place for a successful field visit
Although plans for your field visit were communicated days in advance, you discover the night before departure that the field staff (who you’re relying on for the survey) have no knowledge of your visit and may not be available to assist you.
The car arrives on time to depart for the field, but upon arrival (3 hours from home) the driver informs you that he was told to only drop you off, that is not wait for you to finish fieldwork before returning.
4. That every interview is better when goats are involved!
And we still have the full-scale data collection to undertake! Starting next week myself and my team will return to the field to interview 70 women who are participating in the project. Wish me luck!