Doing Fieldwork

"This is not yet another step-by-step guide to research methods. Rather, Pole and Hillyard draw the reader into fieldwork as a form of living and lived research. They take key threads of research practices and processes and weave them into a holistic approach to fieldwork. Doing Fieldwork is a must read for new researchers planning a journey into the immersion of ′being there′ that is field work." - Professor Garry Marvin, University of Roehampton Fieldwork is central to Sociology, but guides to it often treat the real questions invisibly or over-load the reader with micro-details. This refreshing, authoritative volume, written by two experienced, highly respected fieldworkers, provides a one-stop, engaging guide. The book: Clearly explains fieldwork methods Shows how to locate a field and map it Covers common problem areas and ethical considerations Provides a ready reckoner of time management issues Helps with analysis of findings. Doing Fieldwork is an invaluable teaching and research resource. It should be in every student’s backpack and part of every researcher’s tool kit. Professor Chris Pole is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Brighton. His long-standing research interests are in social research methodology, especially Ethnography and in the Sociology of Education and Childhood. Dr Sam Hillyard is a Reader in Sociology at Durham University. Her research interests are in qualitative research methods, interactionist social theory and rural studies. 

Table of Contents:
What is Fieldwork? Finding the Field Field Relations Tools For the Field Fieldwork: Values and Ethics When It’s Time to Go Analysis Conclusions

About the Author :
Chris Pole is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Brighton. Sam Hillyard is a Reader in Sociology at Durham in the United Kingdom. She is the series editor of Studies in Qualitative Methodology (Emerald) and a member of the editorial board for the journal Qualitative Research. Her research interests lie with the synergies between theoretical ideas and empirical ethnographic research. This interest has been applied across a variety of research settings: Recent projects include game shooting in the UK and access to elite higher education. These interests are reflected in a series of funding awards from the ESRC, the Rural Economy and Land Use programme (ESRC, NERC, and BBSRC), and Natural Resources Wales. Her books include Doing Fieldwork with Professor Pole (2016) and Approaches to Fieldwork, a four-volume collection (2014).

Review :
This is not yet another step-by-step guide to research methods. Rather, Pole and Hillyard draw the reader into fieldwork as a form of living and lived research. They take key threads of research practices and processes and weave them into a holistic approach to fieldwork. Doing Fieldwork is a must read for new researchers planning a journey into the immersion of ′being there′ that is field work. Social Science has long needed a contemporary, high quality and rigorous text on fieldwork to move the debates forward from the pioneering contributions of Burgess in the early 1980s. Doing Fieldwork by Pole and Hillyard is that book. Well-researched, clearly written and replete with useful examples from across the social sciences Doing Fieldwork will no doubt have a broad appeal. It really is a celebration of fieldwork and all that we do as researchers. Chris Pole and Sam Hillyard are serious about fieldwork: about doing it, about being in the field, and about analysing and interpreting the lives of others . Doing Fieldwork is a lively, insightful and student-friendly addition to any sociological bookshelf or reading list. This expertise, clearly demonstrated by the frequently referenced illustration, is converted into a contagious enthusiasm about fieldwork. The book is subsequently an absolute must for those who want to take the first steps in the research world, and therefore very useful as teaching material in introductory courses