Fieldwork And Ethnography Questions
The key differences between fieldwork and archival research are as follows:
1. Nature of data collection: Fieldwork involves gathering primary data through direct observation, interviews, surveys, and participant observation in real-life settings. On the other hand, archival research involves analyzing secondary data from existing sources such as documents, records, manuscripts, newspapers, and other historical materials.
2. Timeframe: Fieldwork is typically conducted over a specific period, ranging from a few weeks to several years, depending on the research objectives. Archival research, however, can be conducted over a shorter period as it involves analyzing existing materials.
3. Research setting: Fieldwork takes place in the field, which refers to the actual location or community being studied. Researchers immerse themselves in the field to gain firsthand experience and understanding. Archival research, on the other hand, is conducted in libraries, archives, or online platforms where historical documents and records are stored.
4. Research approach: Fieldwork often adopts an inductive approach, where researchers generate theories and concepts based on their observations and interactions with the research subjects. Archival research, on the other hand, often follows a deductive approach, where researchers test existing theories or hypotheses using historical data.
5. Data reliability: Fieldwork allows researchers to collect real-time data, which can be more reliable and accurate as it is based on direct experiences and interactions. Archival research relies on existing records, which may have limitations such as biases, incomplete information, or missing data.
6. Ethical considerations: Fieldwork requires researchers to navigate ethical considerations such as informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality of the research subjects. Archival research, on the other hand, focuses on analyzing existing materials, which may not involve direct interactions with individuals and thus have different ethical considerations.
In summary, fieldwork involves collecting primary data through direct observation and interaction in real-life settings, while archival research involves analyzing existing secondary data from historical sources. The two approaches differ in terms of data collection, timeframe, research setting, approach, data reliability, and ethical considerations.