Qualitative fieldwork Establishing and maintaining research relationships Dr Peter McInnes, University of Strathclyde Richard Jeffries, University of the West of Scotland

Today’s Session aims to Raise awareness of the interpersonal and ‘p’olitical issues affecting fieldwork. Help you understand, and shape, who ‘you’ are, what you ‘do’, and what you gather in the field. Get you to (re)consider relational responsibility of field work

Structure of Session Start - 15:00Initial Exploration - 15:40Exploration in Groups - 15:55Feedback and Issue Exploration

Basic Premise ‘Identity’ is an underlying aspect of the research process Engaging with research supports certain aspects of identity and challenges others Who the researcher is read as being, and how research frames the research subject, influences data offered up While we should be reflexive about these issues, this doesn’t always mean avoiding being read in ways that suite our purposes

Groups Complete Immersion: e.g. Ethnography Partial Immersion: e.g. Interviews Ongoing Involvement: e.g. Action Research Thinking about access Preparing for fieldwork Working in the field Making sense of experience.

Issues to explore How might ‘they’ be defining ‘you’? – What does this mean for the way they see ‘research’? – What does this mean for the data they might provide? What might construct ‘you’ in a more “appropriate” manner? – What can you say or do to change their view of you and your research? Where do your (ethical) responsibilities lie in the evolving research relationship? – How far is too far as you mould & modify your research description/ focus? – At what point does relationship management become instrumental?

Sources of solace/inspiration Silverman, D. (2013). Doing Qualitative Research. (4 th edition) Sage: London Alvesson, M. (2011). Interpreting Interviews. Sage: London Flick, U. (2009). The Sage Qualitative Research Kit. Sage: London Bryman, A. & Cassell, C. (2006). The researcher interview: A reflexive process. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal 1(1): 41-55