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Safe fieldwork: Important to plan thoroughly

Photo from inside a small airplane with several people in it.
Researcher Jesica López flew over a fire-ravaged Amazon during fieldwork in Colombia. The fires are a consequence of climate change and expanding cattle breeding. Photo: Private

Colombia is the world’s most dangerous country for those fighting to protect the rain forest and the environment. Last year, 79 people were killed for that reason, three times as many as in the second most dangerous country, Brazil. This means planning field studies there needs to be particularly meticulous.

Lund University researcher Jesica López researches how the management of livestock affects the Amazon and the felling of the rainforest. Among other things, she has been on overflights across the rainforest and arranged a workshop with key figures in Colombia. Ahead of the work she contacted everyone from the Colombian minister of the environment to park keepers, the military and local organisations in order to plan the visits as thoroughly and securely as possible. Being a female researcher in the male-dominated cattle-raising setting also had to be taken into account.

Photo from above of a burning rainforest.
Rainforest on fire. Photo: FCDS

Ultimately, however, a lot of the studies had to be done from Lund because of the pandemic. 

“I had to replan everything and do lots of the interviews digitally instead. I would have appreciated more support from the University in this respect, it was hard to know how to do it correctly, without damaging objectivity. There were no checklists or protocols to stick to,” says Jesica López.

Jesica López shares her top five tips here:

1. Gather information and permits. Contact the relevant authorities to get all the necessary permission in advance. International researchers may need to apply for more permits than citizens of the country.

2. Communication and clear planning. Inform your research team, supervisor and department, and give a detailed itinerary that lists timings, geographical locations and contact persons. Keep them informed about where you are and make judgments about the risks, so that everyone is aware of where you are and where they can turn if it seems like something unexpected has happened.

3. Use your network and local resources. Prepare yourself by using your existing network and establishing contact with research institutions and organisations with a local presence. They can provide valuable tips about security and logistics, as well as put you in touch with trustworthy local contacts.

4. Get to know the local culture. Try to immerse yourself in the cultural, ecological and socio-economic conditions that prevail in the region. This makes the work easier and increases understanding of the risks and opportunities that exist in the region.

5. Protect sources and interviewees. If you gather information through interviews, it is important that you follow ethical guidelines and protect the people you are collaborating with, for their safety. The Faculty of Social Sciences has an ethics questionnaire that you can use.

Tidningsomslag.

About LUM

The first edition of Lund University Magazine – LUM – was published 1968. Today, the magazine reaches all employees and also people outside the university. The magazine is published six times per year. Editor Jan Olsson.

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Editorial staff

Jan Olsson


046-222 94 79

jan [dot] olsson [at] kommunikation [dot] lu [dot] se

 

Minna Wallén-Widung

046-222 82 01


minna [dot] wallen-widung [at] kommunikation [dot] lu [dot] se