1. before Fieldwork

before you go

Good fieldwork begins before you arrive at the site. Read the information provided by your course team and make sure you understand the purpose of the activity, what you are expected to learn and how your work will be assessed.

Check the practical arrangements, including travel, clothing, equipment, weather conditions, accessibility and safety. Review any background information and prepare questions that will help you engage with the field site.

2. During fieldwork

While you are in the field

Fieldwork involves active observation and participation. Keep accurate records, ask questions, discuss your interpretations with others and be prepared to adapt when conditions change.

Digital tools can support your learning, but they should not distract from the field site. Use photographs, maps, geotagging, audio, video and data-collection apps when they help you answer the fieldwork question or record evidence.

3. using digital tools

Using technology in the field

Mobile phones and tablets can help with data collection, photography, geotagging, mapping, communication and collaboration. The EFL resources include examples of smartphones, tablets, biodiversity-recording apps, geotagged photographs, digital stories, virtual field trips and remote access.

Before using an app or device, consider what it is helping you learn. Check whether it works offline, how your data will be stored and whether you can access the information later.

4. after fieldwork

after the experience

Learning continues after fieldwork. Organise your records while the experience is still fresh, check your data and consider how your observations relate to the ideas and questions introduced in your course.

Reflection is not simply a description of what happened. It should consider what you learned, how your understanding changed, what worked well, what was uncertain and how your methods could be improved

5: Safety, access and ethics

Fieldwork should be safe, respectful and inclusive

Fieldwork takes place in environments that may involve physical, social, ethical or environmental risks. Follow the guidance provided by your institution and fieldwork leaders.

Fieldwork should also respect the people, communities, cultures, environments and sites involved. Ask permission where necessary, protect personal information and avoid damaging habitats or disturbing people.

If you have concerns about access, mobility, health, cost or participation, contact your course team as early as possible. Fieldwork can sometimes be supported through alternative, remote, virtual or flexible approaches.