#98: Connecting the 'What' with the 'Why' of Fieldwork (GA Conference 2025)

Wen Xin Ng
Aug 10
4 min read

Documenting my learning from a session I attended at the Geographical Association Annual Conference that explored how to move fieldwork beyond a checklist of tasks.

Too often, fieldwork is being done only to the level required by the examinations due to time pressure. As a result, it becomes merely a series of instructions for students to follow, without their involvement in decisions like choices of location, method, sampling or timing.

Yet it is in understanding those decisions—why this location, why this method, why this timing, and how those decisions shape results—that students start to think like geographers.

When students head out to the field, do they know why they’re doing what they’re doing?

The session offered practical steps on getting students to engage with the why of fieldwork:

Check that you as a teacher (or team of teachers) know why.
Use quick questions and simple activities for students to understand why. (Or better yet, involve them in the decision-making!)
Apply this to every fieldwork opportunity so students build up their knowledge of why over time.

Why That Location?

As teachers, we need to consider the reasons for choosing a particular location for fieldwork. These may include legacy, cost, convenience, or size and scale—but most importantly, there should be clear geographical interest. If that interest is absent, we need to question why the trip is being done at all.
Once we are clear on the “why,” we can then better guide students’ thinking, knowing the fieldwork techniques we want them to practise, the geographical phenomena we want them to observe, and the concepts we want them to articulate.

Why That Method?

Factors influencing method choice include:
- Cost of equipment
- Ethical considerations
- Safety concerns
- External conditions (e.g. weather)
- Time constraints (e.g. photograph vs. field sketch)
Additionally, striving for accuracy, representativeness, efficiency and ethical practice is essential for collecting reliable data and drawing valid conclusions. Teaching students the meanings of these terms before fieldwork can improve their understanding of the "why" behind data collection methods.

Questions to ask:

Why that amount of time?
- Consider the stage/scope/scale of the fieldwork investigation.
- Example: Pedestrian count - pilot study to determine the appropriate time duration (5 minutes vs. 10 minutes).
Why those questions? / Why those categories?
- Consider whether the questions / categories will help answer the research questions.
Why that many repeats?
- Does it vary a little or a lot?
  - If something varies a lot, measure it more.
  - Example: Measuring wind speed 2-3 times vs. measuring temperature once.
- What impact does this method have on people or the environment?
  - Ethical geography: If the impact is high, reduce the number of measurements.
  - Example: Hammering an infiltration tube into the ground vs. assessing plant species.
- What number do I need for the analysis I want to do later?
  - Consider the number of measurements needed for later analysis.
  - Example: To calculate a mean, you have to measure more than once.

Another way to justify your methods is to explain why you chose this method and not the other method(s).

Why That Sampling Strategy?

It is important for students to consider the strengths and limitations of each sampling method and to understand when each is most appropriate. This includes recognising that some methods, such as convenience sampling, may be more prone to bias than others. This would also be a good opportunity to emphasise that real research often requires flexibility, and that in certain situations these methods may be necessary, e.g. due to limited access to some of the study area or population.

Why That Time of the Day, Day of the Week, Time of the Year?

When would be the ideal time(s) to do your fieldwork? When are you doing your fieldwork?
What impact does the timing of your fieldwork have on your fieldwork results and conclusions?
When would you get contrasting results?

If the timing is less than ideal, encourage your students to notice this!

Timing is a variable that can influence data but is often outside students' control (e.g. weekday vs. weekend, tourist season vs. off-season, morning vs. afternoon).
When students notice and reflect on how the timing may have influenced their findings, they’re:
- Identifying a limitation of their study.
- Linking it to possible effects on data accuracy or representativeness.
- Suggesting how future fieldwork could be improved (e.g. collecting data at multiple times or choosing a more representative time).

This turns an uncontrollable factor into an opportunity for critical thinking and better geographical reasoning.

Timing:

Limitations:

Example: Pedestrian counts taken on a weekday morning may differ greatly from those taken on a weekend afternoon. Teachers and students may have limited control over timing due to school schedules or safety concerns.

Addressing Limitations:

(Pre-) Discuss how this might influence results before going into the field.
(Post-) If possible, refer to secondary data for contrast.
(Post-) Link observations to these conditions when explaining results.
(Post-) Suggest improvements for future studies, such as sampling at multiple times for a more representative picture.

Weather:

Limitations:

Example: Weather is an uncontrollable factor that can significantly affect fieldwork results. Conditions on the day—and even in the days beforehand—can influence what is observed and measured. For example, recent storms may create berms on a beach, or heavy rain could affect infiltration rates.

Addressing Limitations:

(Pre-) Discuss with how this might influence results before going into the field.
(Pre-) Track and record weather conditions in the lead-up to the fieldwork. (e.g use weather apps or online archives to capture data).
(Post-) Link observations to these conditions when explaining results.
(Post-) Suggest improvements for future studies, such as collecting data at a different timing or repeated visits to improve data reliability.

More Whys to Consider:

Why qualitative and quantitative data?
Why do I need to follow this rule (risk assessment)?
Why this data presentation?
Why is that particular result interesting?
Why, geographically, is this particular result not like the others (anomalies)?
Why is this particular result useful in increasing my geographical understanding?
Why was my study not perfect?

From interrogating location choice and sampling methods to justifying fieldwork techniques, the session reinforced that making the thinking behind our fieldwork decision-making visible builds students’ evaluative skills and research independence.

Ultimately, the “whys” of fieldwork are best learned by doing more of it—that is, through fieldwork that is varied, purposeful, and reflective, giving students repeated opportunities to connect process with purpose.