Research Methodology

Field Study/ Field Research

By MK Singh
 What is Field Research?

• Field research is defined as a qualitative method of data

collection that aims to observe, interact and understand
people while they are in a natural environment.
• For example, nature conservationists observe
behaviour of animals in their natural surroundings and
the way they react to certain scenarios.
• In the same way, social scientists conducting field
research may conduct interviews or observe people
from a distance to understand how they behave in a
social environment and how they react to situations
around them.
 What is Field Research?

• Field research encompasses a diverse range of social research

methods including direct observation, limited participation, analysis
of documents and other information, informal
interviews, surveys etc. Although field research is generally
characterized as qualitative research, it often involves multiple
aspects of quantitative research in it.
• Field research typically begins in a specific setting although the end
objective of the study is to observe and analyse the specific
behaviour of a subject in that setting. The cause and effect of a
certain behaviour, though, is tough to analyse due to presence of
multiple variables in a natural environment. Most of the data
collection is based not entirely on cause and effect but mostly on
correlation. While field research looks for correlation, the
small sample size makes it difficult to establish a causal
relationship between two or more variables.
 Examples of Field Research

Some examples of field research are:

1. Decipher social metrics in a slum: Purely by using observational methods and in-
depth interviews, researchers can be part of a community to understand the social
metrics and social hierarchy of a slum. This study can also understand the financial
independence and day-to-day operational nuances of a slum. The analysis of this
data can provide an insight into how different a slum is from structured societies.
2. Understand the impact of sports on a child’s development: This method of field
research takes multiple years to conduct and the sample size can be very large. The
data analysis of this research provides insights into how the kids of different
geographical locations and backgrounds respond to sports and the impact of sports
on their all round development.
3. Study animal migration patterns : Field research is used extensively to study
flora and fauna. A major use case is scientists monitoring and studying animal
migration patterns with the change of seasons. Field research helps collect data
across years and that helps draw conclusions about how to safely expedite the safe
passage of animals.
 Methods of Field Research

Field research is typically conducted in 5 distinctive methods. They are:

• Direct Observation :In this method, the data is collected via
an observational method or subjects in a natural environment. In this
method, the behaviour or outcome of situation is not interfered in any way
by the researcher. The advantage of direct observation is that it offers
contextual data on people, situations, interactions and the surroundings.
This method of field research is widely used in a public setting or
environment but not in a private environment as it raises an ethical
dilemma.
• Participant Observation: In this method of field research, the researcher
is deeply involved in the research process, not just purely as an observer,
but also as a participant. This method too is conducted in a natural
environment but the only difference is the researcher gets involved in the
discussions and can mould the direction of the discussions. In this method,
researchers live in a comfortable environment with the participants of the
research, to make them comfortable and open up to in-depth discussions.
 Methods of Field Research

• Ethnography: Ethnography is an expanded observation of social research and

social perspective and the cultural values of an entire social setting. In
ethnography, entire communities are observed objectively. For example, if a
researcher would like to understand how an Amazon tribe lives their life and
operates, he/she may chose to observe them or live amongst them and silently
observe their day-to-day behaviour.
• Qualitative Interviews: Qualitative interviews are close-ended questions that are
asked directly to the research subjects. The qualitative interviews could be either
informal and conversational, semi-structured, standardized and open-ended or a mix
of all the above three. This provides a wealth of data to the researcher that they can
sort through. This also helps collect relational data. This method of field research
can use a mix of one-on-one interviews, focus groups and text analysis.
• Case Study: A case study research is an in-depth analysis of a person, situation or
event. This method may look difficult to operate, however, it is one of the simplest
ways of conducting research as it involves a deep dive and thorough understanding
the data collection methods and inferring the data.
 Steps in Conducting Field Research

Due to the nature of field research, the magnitude of timelines and costs involved, field research can be
very tough to plan, implement and measure. Some basic steps in the management of field research are:

1. Build the Right Team: To be able to conduct field research, having the right team is important. The
role of the researcher and any ancillary team members is very important and defining the tasks they
have to carry out with defined relevant milestones is important. It is important that the upper
management too is vested in the field research for its success.
2. Recruiting People for the Study: The success of the field research depends on the people that the
study is being conducted on. Using sampling methods, it is important to derive the people that will
be a part of the study.
3. Data Collection Methodology: As spoken in length about above, data collection methods for field
research are varied. They could be a mix of surveys, interviews, case studies and observation. All
these methods have to be chalked out and the milestones for each method too have to be chalked out
at the outset. For example, in the case of a survey, the survey design is important that it is created
and tested even before the research begins.
4. Site Visit: A site visit is important to the success of the field research and it is always conducted
outside of traditional locations and in the actual natural environment of the respondent/s. Hence,
planning a site visit along with the methods of data collection is important.
5. Data Analysis: Analysis of the data that is collected is important to validate the premise of the field
research and decide the outcome of the field research.
6. Communicating Results: Once the data is analysed, it is important to communicate the results to
the stakeholders of the research so that it could be actioned upon.
 Types of Field Research Notes

The four different kinds of field notes are:

• Job Notes: This method of taking notes is while the researcher is in the study. This
could be in close proximity and in open sight with the subject in study. The notes
here are short, concise and in condensed form that can be built on by the researcher
later. Most researchers do not prefer this method though due to the fear of feeling
that the respondent may not take them seriously.
• Field Notes Proper: These notes are to be expanded on immediately after the
completion of events. The notes have to be detailed and the words have to be as
close to possible as the subject being studied.
• Methodological Notes: These notes contain methods on the research methods used
by the researcher, any new proposed research methods and the way to monitor their
progress. Methodological notes can be kept with field notes or filed separately but
they find their way to the end report of a study.
• Journals and Diaries: This method of field notes is an insight into the life of the
researcher. This tracks all aspects of the researchers life and helps eliminate the
Halo effect or any bias that may have cropped up during the field research.
 Reasons to Conduct Field Research

• Overcoming lack of data: Field research resolves the major issue of gaps in data.
Very often, there is limited to no data about a topic in study, especially in a specific
environment. The problem might be known or suspected but there is no way to
validate this without primary research and data. Conducting field research helps not
only plug-in gaps in data but collect supporting material and hence is a
preferred research method of researchers.
• Understanding context of the study: In many cases, the data collected is adequate
but field research is still conducted. This helps gain insight into the existing data.
For example, if the data states that horses from a stable farm generally win races
because the horses are pedigreed and the stable owner hires the best jockeys. But
conducting field research can throw light into other factors that influence the success
like quality of fodder and care provided and conducive weather conditions.
• Increasing the quality of data: Since this research method uses more than one tool
to collect data, the data is of higher quality. Inferences can be made from the data
collected and can be statistically analyzed via the triangulation of data.
• Collecting ancillary data: Field research puts the researchers in a position of
localized thinking which opens them new lines of thinking. This can help collect
data that the study didn’t account to collect.
 Advantages of Field Research

The advantages of field research are:

• It is conducted in a real-world and natural
environment where there is no tampering of
variables and the environment is not doctored.
• Due to the study being conducted in a
comfortable environment, data can be collected
even about ancillary topics.
• The researcher gains a deep understanding into
the research subjects due to the proximity to them
and hence the research is extensive, thorough and
accurate.
 Disadvantages of Field Research

The disadvantages of field research are:

• The studies are expensive and time-consuming and can
take years to complete.
• It is very difficult for the researcher to distance
themselves from a bias in the research study.
• The notes have to be exactly what the researcher says
but the nomenclature is very tough to follow.
• It is an interpretive method and this is subjective and
entirely dependent on the ability of the researcher.
• In this method, it is impossible to control external
variables and this constantly alters the nature of the
research.