'Fieldwork' in the time of Covid-19

Abstract

<div>How does an anthropologist, a linguist, and a health systems researcher collect data during COVID-19 when human interaction is limited? Speaking at the first webinar hosted by the Faculty of the Humanities on Fieldwork in the time of COVID-19, Prof Deborah Posel, Research Professor in Sociology, said, “Lockdown impacted social sciences just as much. For us it was a lockout from people, libraries, and field research.” </div><div><br></div><div>“The benefits (of the webinar) for Humanities research are obvious. Research in the Humanities differs a lot from research in other disciplines such as Natural Sciences; it happens in silos and not as a group focused,” said Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities. This webinar series will provide a platform to engage, but also for inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary research in the faculty. “Using this platform to engage and talk about our shared experiences will help bring researchers together and to reflect on our own experiences,” Prof Hudson said. </div><div><br></div><div>Academics from different departments in the faculty shared how the COVID-19 lockdown affected their research projects. They were Dr Gladys Kigozi, Senior Researcher in the <a href="https://www.ufs.ac.za/humanities/departments-and-divisions/centre-for-health-systems-research-development-home/postgraduate-qualification/master-of-health-system-studies" target="_blank">Centre for Health Systems Research and Development </a>(CHSR&D), Dr Kristina Riedel from the<a href="https://www.ufs.ac.za/humanities/departments-and-divisions/linguistics-and-language-practice-home/general/home" target="_blank"> Department of Linguistics and Language Practice</a>, and Prof Joy Owen from the <a href="https://www.ufs.ac.za/humanities/departments-and-divisions/anthropology-home" target="_blank">Department of Anthropology</a>. </div>