Fieldwork Essentials: One Researcher’s Survival Kit
- Dr. April-Louise M. Pennant
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Research takes time, resources, endless curiosity, determination, & a lot of helping hands along the way. Having just completed a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship, which involved fieldwork in archives & libraries, interviews, & visiting key sites across Wales, Jamaica, & Ghana, I have been reflecting on the tools that carried me through the process.
Research that is not desk based asks something different from the researcher. You have to be prepared, adaptable, & properly equipped to do the research well.
Whether you are an experienced researcher or just beginning your research journey, I hope this post offers a few ideas, or perhaps affirms choices you have already made.
A quick note before we begin. This is not a paid promotional post, although I am manifesting that energy for the future lol. These are simply the top three items I genuinely swore by during my three years of intense fieldwork.
So, without further ado, the three items I would not have survived fieldwork without are....
High quality audio recorder
This was the first thing I bought at the start of my fellowship, & it quickly became indispensable.
From an ethical standpoint alone, a dedicated audio recorder felt far more appropriate than using my phone. The sound quality was significantly better, the storage more reliable, & it simply felt professional. In the same way I would expect a tailor to arrive with their scissors & measuring tape, an experienced researcher should also arrive properly prepared. For me, a quality audio recorder symbolises that readiness.
It also lasts longer & has one sole function: recording interviews.
I carried mine everywhere & invested in a hard case, complete with spare batteries, accessories, & the instructions. After every interview, I uploaded the file to my password protected computer & deleted it from the recorder. Peace of mind & ethics in one simple routine.
The only challenge was its remarkable sensitivity. Fans, wind, distant traffic, all of it was captured. Quiet spaces became part of the research plan. The payoff was worth it though. Clear, crisp recordings that could be trusted & analysed without worry.
The audio recorder I used was the Tascam DR-40X portable 4-track audio recorder.
2. Footwear Built for Fieldwork
The amount of trekking I did up & down across different places & terrains was A LOT. Therefore, comfortable & adaptable shoes are non negotiable for fieldwork. You need something that can handle unpredictable terrain & weather without sacrificing your feet.
My choice ended up being a pair of what I would describe as hybrid slider-trainers, which I bought at the end of the second year of fieldwork in Jamaica & wore extensively in Ghana during the third year.
They had generous padding & cushioning, sturdy platformed soles with grip to keep both the ground & my feet in check, & an open toe so my feet could get tanned alongside the rest of my body lol. They had a stylish, thick, padded criss cross strap, were black, & went well with almost every outfit- I got loads of compliments. They quickly became my trodding shoes, earning their keep day after day.
They slipped off easily whenever I needed to be barefoot in sacred spaces or wished to ground & connect with the textures beneath my feet, picking up other energies & information as I moved. They carried me across beaches, castles, former plantations, & trails that demanded more than a casual stride. Sturdy, reliable, & forgiving of long hours.
The only regret? I should have bought two pairs & wore them in the previous year of fieldwork in Jamaica!
The footwear in question was the Jordan Sophia Slide in Black
3. Weatherproof Backpack
Lastly, & by no means least, I bought my backpack in the final year of fieldwork in Ghana, though I wish I had done so much earlier. It replaced the small suitcase I had dragged around during years one & two in Wales & Jamaica, packed with research documents & equipment. In the field, opportunities to return or meet someone again are often limited, so being properly equipped matters.
What I loved most was its capacity & design. It was large enough to carry everything I needed, yet comfortable to wear, stylish, with cushioning & adjustable straps that freed my hands & made moving between sites far easier.
I chose a backpack that was specifically weatherproof & water resistant, because you would be surprised how many backpacks are not, based on previous experience. This meant that through rain, heat, dust & unpredictability, everything I carried stayed safe & secure.
Of course, it had its quirks. On small, local buses it often ended up on my lap, because I refuse to put my bag on the floor! Picture me holding it like a child on my lap & you would not be far off lol.
The backpack I used was aptly called the Rains Trail Backpack in Black.
So, of course there were many more items in my kit, but these three were the ones I truly swore by. They supported my fieldwork practically & ethically, often in ways I only fully appreciated in hindsight.
Every researcher needs a survival kit. Trusted tools that make your research possible, protect your practice, & allow you to focus on what really matters. Much of it comes down to trial & error, learning what works for you, & giving yourself permission to invest in your own sustainability.
If you have access to a research budget, use it. Thoughtfully equipping yourself is not indulgent, it is part of doing the work well.
Research is challenging, demanding, & at times exhausting. But it is also deeply fulfilling. It tests your curiosity, patience, & grit, while asking you to show up fully, again & again.
So take stock. What are the tools that support your research, your body, & your ethics? What would make your next fieldwork phase lighter, safer, or more sustainable?
Start building your survival kit now. Your future self will thank you.
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