Rationale
This training course on fieldwork-based research for doctoral students and Max Weber fellows is comprised of several collaborative sessions providing practical information on the fieldwork process, covering strategies and challenges associated with data collection, and aiming to improve interactions between researchers and field interlocutors. It is designed with the specific profiles and research areas of EUI researchers in mind, and with awareness of the challenges that they often report encountering in preparation for fieldwork and in the field.
The course emerges from the realization that most post-graduate level researchers have received academic training on research methods, but may have limited fieldwork experience. Faculty often lack time to discuss field dynamics or challenges with students or trust most skills will be simply acquired through practice. It is also common for researchers to encounter organizational and/or social dynamics that can effectively complicate their access to information or stakeholders. Furthermore, growing awareness of security conditions worldwide creates the need to acknowledge the challenges present in field interactions. This workshop will allow EUI researchers to gain insights into the practice of fieldwork, reduce the uncertainty related to the fieldwork process, and receive answers related to their specific projects.
Overview
The workshop is held in person with some experts and guest speakers exceptionally joining remotely. The first day is split in two: a morning session on the technical and logistical components of fieldwork preparation, and an afternoon discussion on the ethical and emotional dynamics that can be present in the fieldwork experience. During the second day, participants will join sessions with speakers with field experience on gender, quantitative research, illicit or criminalised activities, and high- profile and state-actor interviewing. Guest speakers join in person or remotely.
Session structure and organization
Sessions are highly participatory, using specific case studies and examples from the field. Sessions also allocate significant time for questions specific to the work of the participants, and individual sessions can be scheduled for further debriefing and follow up.
Instructor:
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![Portrait picture of Gabriella Sánchez]()
Gabriella Sánchez
Research Fellow
Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, Georgetown University
Gabriella is a sociocultural anthropologist with a background in law enforcement. For the last 15 years, she has conducted field-based research on high-risk migration in the Americas, North Africa and Europe. She was a research fellow at the EUI’s Migration Policy Centre from 2017 to 2020 in charge of the migrant smuggling portfolio and conducted fieldwork in North Africa and Europe.