“What’s in Your Bag? Fieldwork Nuts and Bolts,”

Fieldwork (especially the ethnographic sort) and archival research are often described as things one just “figures out” by doing. Methodology, when discussed at all, is often a subject of helpful, but still quite abstract theorization. This roundtable discussion with post-field dissertation writers is about grounding those discussions in the everyday realities of fieldwork. This is meant to be an open discussion, driven by the curiosities of attendees. Examples of questions we might go into: What’s in your bag? What’s on your computer? How do you write a good fieldnote? How do you keep everything straight? How do you gain access? How do you actually do an interview well? What does archival research really mean?  How do you deal with the emotional and physical strains of fieldwork?