Overcoming Fieldwork Challenges in Social Science and Higher Education Research

Book excerpt: Conducting social science and education research studies that require involvement in fieldwork is not an easy task. Many graduate students and novice researchers face difficulties efficiently and effectively conducting the practical aspects of their research in fieldwork. One reason for this difficulty may be due to the lack of finding and/or accessing authentic and realistic descriptions of previously conducted fieldwork experiences and processes in a variety of fields. This could be the case whether the research is going to be on a virtual platform or in a real and actual context. Thus, it is critical to shed light on the successes and pitfalls of the personal experiences of fieldwork. Overcoming Fieldwork Challenges in Social Science and Higher Education Research is an essential reference book that draws on the experience of conducting fieldwork in different contexts and world regions that are relevant to social science and education studies. The diverse experiences in research processes and contexts that this book offers provide readers with an authentic and realistic description of how research data is collected, the tools needed to envision some of the challenges that they might face, and how to effectively solve them. Highlighting topics such as methodology, data collection, and fieldwork partnerships in fields that include counseling, psychology, language studies, and teacher education, this book is ideal for social science and education studies professors who have research as a mandatory part of their curriculum, administrators and policymakers, independent and novice researchers, and graduate students planning to conduct their research studies with humans in different contexts.