Practical Work, Fieldwork Methods and Project Work
This domain tests fieldwork technique and the ability to design and report a small project. Expect method names, ethics and the difference between observation and inference.
Core concepts
Participant observation involves sustained involvement while recording field notes. Interviews may be structured, semi-structured or unstructured; key-informant interviews use knowledgeable individuals. Genealogy charts kinship; household schedules collect systematic data; censuses count and classify; mapping records space and resources. Life histories and case studies capture process. Field notes should separate observation, quotation and interpretation.
Ethics require informed consent, confidentiality, safety and honesty about purpose. A project report needs a clear title, aims, area and community, methods, data, analysis, limitations and references.
Worked example
A project studies marriage payments in one village. Method: a household schedule for basic data, genealogies for kinship links, and semi-structured interviews with elders and young couples. Reasoning: schedules show patterns; genealogies show relationships; interviews explain meanings. Triangulation strengthens claims, and limitations are stated because one village cannot represent all of West Bengal.
Traps that cost marks
Do not ask leading questions. Do not generalise from a small, convenient sample. Do not record only what confirms your expectation. Do not omit consent or confidentiality. Do not confuse observation with interpretation in field notes.
Key points
- Participant observation combines involvement with systematic note-taking.
- Interviews vary from structured to unstructured; key informants are selected for knowledge.
- Genealogies, schedules, censuses and maps are basic field tools.
- Ethics require consent, confidentiality and safety.
- Project reports state methods, analysis and limitations clearly.