Leeds University Centre for Global Development

Conducting Fieldwork in Development Contexts: Reflexive Approaches to Practical Issues

27 September 2012 | 8:45-17:00 | Seminar

Room 8.119, School of Earth and Environment

Inaugural Researchers in Development Network (RiDNet) Conference

Call for Registration

Conducting research in development contexts comes with its own challenges. On top of common issues such as research design, methodology and planning, a set of context-specific issues has to be taken into account. For example, cultural differences may disrupt communication, corruption may hamper access, ethical issues may be more stringent, and interaction with different social groups may prove challenging.  

The multi-disciplinary, cross-faculty Researchers in Development Network (RiDNet), under the Centre for Global Development at the University of Leeds, has identified a need for active and intensive engagement with fieldwork preparation and reflection among early career researchers. The first RiDNet conference ‘Conducting Fieldwork in Development Contexts: Reflexive Approaches to Practical Issues’ is an opportunity to share challenges, experiences, and best practices.  

Themes for the conference include: 

• What (not) to say: Communicating with participants, research assistants and interpreters
• There is more to it than honesty: Ethical implications of development research
• Taking sides: Dealing with high level officials, local elites, and development organizations
• Under threat: Working in hostile environments
• A matter of transparency: Coping with corruption
• Participant expectations: Claims for compensation and stakeholder engagement

In addition to four keynote speakers, postgraduate and early-career researchers will share their valuable experiences through short presentations (10 minutes) in themed panels. Keynote speakers include: Professor Jean Grugel, University of Sheffield, and Professor Paul Sillitoe, Durham University.  The conference will feed into a new research note series focusing on the practicalities of conducting research in development contexts. 

Registration

Please visit: http://conducting_fieldwork_in_development_contexts.eventbrite.com/ to register. The deadline for registration is 21 September 2012.  However, if you would like to attend please register early as spots are limited.

We look forward to discussing reflexive approaches to practical issues in fieldwork with you in September!  

 

**Co-sponsored by University of Leeds LEAP Training Hub (http://www.leaptraining.leeds.ac.uk), the Centre for Global Development (http://www.polis.leeds.ac.uk/centre-global-development), the Institute of Communications Studies (http://ics.leeds.ac.uk), the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (http://www.cccep.ac.uk/AboutUs/home.aspx), Sustainability Research Institute (http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/research/sri/), and Leeds Social Sciences Institute (http://www.lssi.leeds.ac.uk/about/).