Planning of Research in Third World Countries:
Lecture 3 –Date. 02.10.13


Introduction
This lecture is intended provide bases for a researchers who are supposed to start research in an
area, region or culture in a developing country other than the one in which they grew up, or with
which they are not familiar

Good  Book to read
Doing Development Research


Technical Aspects
The research proposal contains all the technical details, in conformity to that researcher has to
implement the research. However, in implementation of the research, the logistics also play a
significant role.

Logistic Aspects
1. Selecting a field location
•Reading about the area
•Having a local co-researcher
•Google map
•Other maps available (after going to the country)

2. Development contacts with partners
Relevant ministry or ministries:
Universities
NGOs:
CBOs
Village or community can be approached systematically by developing partnership with important
people and institutions. In order to use them some mechanism has to be developed before the field
research.

3. Finding a RA/interpreter
Interpretation is a rather free lance job in developing countries when it comes to research.  Most
occasions university undergraduate, postgraduate student who have language capabilities happen to
work as interpreters to foreign researchers. Language knowledge is not sufficient, but several
other characteristics have to be considered.  Nancy Schweda Nicholson’s article on personality
characteristics of interpreter trainees give a good insight on interpretation
(http://www.openstarts.units.it/dspace/bitstream/10077/2476/1/08.pdf

What then is the ‘typical’ interpreter like?
•A self-reliant,
•Articulate
•Extrovert,
•Quick and intelligent,
(a jack of all trades)
Henderson (1980)

4. Being aware of regulations and local customs
As foreign researcher develops contacts with local bodies he or she gradually becomes familiar to
regulations. However, becoming familiar to local customs is still challenging. Unless getting used
to local customs people might get offend and it may obstruct to build a good rapport between
researcher and researched. This may be obstruct in collecting accurate data. RA’s help and good
reading about local culture is very important in this regard. This is very important for the
persons who carry out lengthy research, such as ethnographic research.

5. Safety concerns
Social concerns
Violence, robberies, cheating, animal attacks, deceases, accidents
Natural concerns
Weather extremes
Diseases

6. Timing
•Holidays: National holidays and major social cultural  and political events which hinder into
research activities, e.g., charismas time, new year, election time period,
India-Durga puja October 10-14, 2013. Whole festival goes around 15 days
Nepal –holi Feb/March- Aug-Sep, Festival fever period
•Regional events: Kandy pageant,
•Harvesting periods
•Weather pattern: Some geographical locations can have serious problems related to rainy period
having floods. Weather forecast could be a guidance for planning.

India- Durga puja
/photo.cms?msid=1260480


Nepal Holi Festival
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lKOA8VnXCFE/SpvWR23QH_I/AAAAAAAAAFs/BGElZ423ZX4/s320/P3100872.JPG


Kandy pageant- Sri Lanka
http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4749444696114893&w=260&h=141&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7
http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4627695269907493&w=214&h=154&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7