Field Research

J. presented a seminar based on her experience interviewing musicians in Europe on the experimental music scene. As usual I find her way of breaking things down and stating them clearly I real light house of thought. In a sense I did field work for my MA, but it was in a very long and drawn out manner. I attended workshops with Duncan, Minton and Tonelli in 2014 and later interviewed them, via email. Had the project had more organization and funding it may have included more in depth integration like taking workshops and interviewing them about their practices afterward. One reason I’m doing this PhD is because of opportunity it grants for more time and investigation. I like the way J. presents her research experience here as part journalism/part detective work. Here are my notes from class:

Qualitative Methods: Fieldwork and Interviewing -J.C.

J. was assigned fieldwork which she elected to conduct in London

1. Problem statement: consists of what?
2. Hypothesis: is the why
   1. Fieldwork is when you go out to prove your hypothesis
   1. Or change it
   1. Or reject it
3. Research questions are based on the hypothesis.
4. Introduction contextualizes the work
5. Methods and positioning
   1. Participant observation requires presence
   2. Interviews can be followed up via tech
   3. Interviews benefit from conversation
      1. When this happens consider your position as you become part of your research
6. Field research can be ad-hock or improvisational
   1. Informal focus groups transpired during concerts and other social events.
      1. This can create ethical issues without careful planning
      2. Limits what research you can claim or present
   1. J. found that her inquiry may lead her into dangerous scenarios as political climates shift.
7. J. also had to change her analytical perspectives
   1. To serve her thesis
   2. To reflect her research
   3. To communicate with her participants
      1. In ways that served her research
      2. In ways that help her subjects understand her
         1. The fluidity of social parameters caused her to question definitions such as “scene”
8. When there is a gap in the knowledge you were hoping to find evidence for that’s another opportunity to ask why