Dear Diary: Early Career Geographers Collectively Reflect on Their Qualitative Field Research Experiences

Abstract

After completing a qualitative methods course in geography, we moved classroom discussions into practice. While undertaking graduate fieldwork in sites across the globe, we participated in critical, reflexive journaling. Whereas journal writing is often private, we shared our entries, aiming to facilitate rigour while concurrently exploring similarities and differences. We became conscious of common themes including ethical dilemmas, power relations and researcher fatigue. In this paper, we critically analyse these experiences, examining the strategies implemented to resolve such predicaments. We argue that reflexive group journaling during fieldwork is a valuable learning tool which could be introduced into many research-active curricula.

Keywords:

• Fieldwork
• journal writing
• student voice
• ethics
• gatekeepers
• researcher fatigue

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the participants in our individual research projects; without your generous contributions of time and knowledge, this paper would not have been possible. We would also like to acknowledge Mick Healey and four anonymous reviewers who provided helpful comments on an earlier draft. Sarah would like to thank Janine Wiles (now at University of Auckland) for her substantial input into the establishment of Geog 509 Qualitative Methods in Geography. Thank you also to the Faculty of Science, McGill University, for providing financial support for this project, and to all the funding agencies that made each of our individual research projects possible.

Notes

¹ One of us chose anonymity at this stage due to discomfort with the personal changes revealed in this process. Nevertheless, this individual gave permission for his journal data to be used to maintain the integrity of the group project as a whole. The pseudonym, Edward Smith, is used for this colleague.

² After the interview was finished, Julia asked for oral consent from the research participant, who willingly agreed.

³ A few days later, Julia followed up with a phone call to check in with the research participant and ensure she was comfortable with what she had shared during the interview; the research participant stated that she was and has remained in contact.

⁴ As it turned out, there was a paid access agreement to remove the exotic tree species from that park area, so the activity was legal.