Fieldwork & Deskwork

Fieldwork
Fieldwork is normally to find out what is happening in the “field” or in reality, it refers to the process of going out to collect research data. Such data may be described as original or empirical. For me it will be within my own work environment. This might also involve visiting another institution/class to interview members of staff, hand out questionnaires to customers and even observing what takes place. Fieldwork will initially be doing the research for instance questionnaires, observations and interviews.

Deskwork
Deskwork consists of those research processes which do not necessitate going into the field. It consists of those things that can be done whilst sitting at a desk. These may include the administration, collection and analysis of a postal survey, the analysis of data collected by others and literature searches in the library. This will be collecting the data I have received from my questionnaires, observations and interviews and analysing what I have read, gathered and learned.

I think that both are essential to my project and I will make use of both because I need to do the fieldwork in order to complete the deskwork. I need to form the data in order to analyse the data. I will wish to compare data arising from literature and documentation in my work place with not only m own experience but also other peoples organisational experience and perceptions.