Witnessing incidents of violence against people of color in the media, two doctoral candidates in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology decided to create a set of best practices on how researchers can stay safe while conducting fieldwork. What started as a list for their graduate field transformed into much more when Monique Pipkin and Amelia-Juliette Demery’s ideas began resonating at Cornell and beyond.
The journal Nature Ecology and Evolutionary Biology published their paper, “Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors, and their institutions” in October; but even then, the two knew they were not finished.
A paper presentation and panel discussion with disciplinary experts followed in mid-February, addressing the risks associated with conducting fieldwork in locations where misunderstandings with police and locals, for example, could lead to difficulties. As the students explained, conducting fieldwork in an unfamiliar environment and/or around unknown people can put any researcher in a position of risk. The event brought nearly 1,000 scholars from across the country into the conversation.
“Researchers and supervisors must work under the expectation that prejudice can arise in any situation, and the repercussions for experiencing that risk can be equally diverse in how they manifest,” Demery told the audience over Zoom.
Through their presentation, Demery and Pipkin defined what it means for a researcher to be at-risk, described several unsafe fieldwork scenarios, and provided actions researchers can take to reduce risk in any location. Engaging in fieldwork with another person, carrying credentials, and wearing identifying clothing are just a few of the strategies they identified, all of which, they said, should be discussed and planned in advance.
