The logistics of preliminary field work have always been challenging. From finding appropriate interlocutors to accessing archives, the process of conducting field work can be fraught with both known and unpredictable challenges. The pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges, at home and abroad. But it has also presented opportunities for students to integrate new approaches and technologies into their scholarship. We will present an inter-university panel of students who will discuss the following questions, among others:

• What type of institutional barriers do students face when requesting authorization to conduct research (financial, bureaucratic, etc.)? 
• What new tools have students incorporated to conduct research considering pandemic-related obstacles?
• How has the pandemic affected field research methodology, interactions with respondents/participants in the field, timeline, and budget?
• What type of new training is needed? 
• What new opportunities are students finding with evolving technology and connectedness (pre-, during, and post-field work)?

Moderated by: Ramona L. Pérez, San Diego State University

Panelists:

• Alana Ackerman, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Yhovana Karen Chura Cussi, MA Student in Latin American Studies, University of Florida
• Catie Prechtel, PhD Candidate in Latin American Studies, Tulane University
• Irene Farah Rivadeneyra, PhD Candidate, City & Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley
• Anne Ruelle, PhD Student in Social Work, University of Chicago
• Roberto Young, MA Student in Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Hosted by the University of Chicago and organized in partnership with the following members of the Tinker Field Research Collaborative: San Diego State University; Tulane University; University of California, Berkeley; University of Florida; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Kansas; University of Texas at Austin.

Registration is required: https://tfrcobstaclesandopportunities.eventbrite.com