Overseas Research

Christopher B. Barrett is the Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management, International Professor of Agriculture, Professor of Economics, and Professor of Global Development at Cornell University, USA.Jeffrey Cason is Provost and the Edward C. Knox Professor of International Studies and Political Science at Middlebury College, USA. Erin C. Lentz is Assistant Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.

"The authors offer practical advice on navigating the complexities of conducting research abroad. It tackles the challenges posed by diverse cultures, foreign infrastructures, and established norms in a refreshing and digestible way. Your research journeys will benefit from their insights."- Angela Evans, Dean of the Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin"Simply indispensable reading for anyone considering conducting research overseas. From planning to execution, from the most basic personal considerations to high-minded professional and intellectual concerns, the book offers concrete, accessible, and indeed practical advice by emergent and experienced scholars from different disciplines on the joys and perils of conducting research abroad."- Carlos J. Vélez-Blasini, Dean of International Programs and Professor of Psychology, Middlebury College"Every researcher should read this book before beginning fieldwork. It’s like having an extended conversation with your advisor, best friend and parents, all wrapped into one. You might not need every piece of advice, but there are suggestions and stories in the book that even the most experienced field researcher can use." - Wendy W. Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs and Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Professor of Global Development, Cornell University

• List of Field Narratives List of Contributors Preface and Acknowledgements to the Third Edition 1 Introduction 2 Identifying a Site and Funding Source Site Selection Exploratory Research Trips Language Training Finding Funding Summary 3 Predeparture Preparations Money and Travel Health Housing Packing: What to Bring, What to Leave Family Matters Being LGBTQ+ in the Field Academic Preparations Securing Approvals and Research Clearances 4 Setting Up to Live and Work Becoming Familiar with an Unfamiliar Environment Money and Housing Bureaucratic and Legal Matters With Family in the Field Issues of Identity in Your Daily Experiences Relations with Expatriates Maintaining Your Well-being in the Field Settling in Academically 5 The Logistics of Fieldwork Research Equipment Transportation Research Assistants 6 Safety and Security Matters Personal Safety: The Basics Less Obvious Safety Strategies Gender, Race and Sexual Orientation-based Violence Traffic Keeping Research Equipment and Data Safe 7 The Challenges of the Field Choosing and Cultivating Informants Crosschecking Data Broaching Sensitive Subjects Recording Interviews Managing and Minimizing Your Cultural and Ecological Footprint Giving Back and Maintaining Credibility in the Field 8 Knowing When to Go Home Narrowing the Topic Clearing the Decks Packing Up the Data 9 Pulling It All Together: The Postpartum Organizing Data Beginning (and Completing) the Writing Process Culture Shock 10 Epilogue: It’s Never Over Post-fieldwork Obligations Post-fieldwork Opportunities Selected Bibliography Archival Research Case Study Research and Comparative Method Ethnographic Methods and Qualitative Research on Human Subjects Fieldwork in General Grantswriting Living Abroad Quantitative Methods Research Ethics Study Abroad Survey Research Websites (Blogs, and Other Repositories of Useful Information) Index