The work behind the work
What if the most draining part isn't the interview itself, but getting there, confirming it, rescheduling it, and making sure everyone shows up? Here's a reflection on the quiet and invisible labor of doing research.
The work you don't see
When doing research, there is research you plan, which includes theory, consent forms and interview guides, interviews, writing, and then there is research you live. The messages, the emails, the scheduling, the voice notes you send while rushing between places and hoping for replies. This is what holds everything together.
Before asking questions
Before I could even think about asking my first question, I needed to coordinate with gatekeepers, send polite reminders, and ask a few times "Bonjour [X], je voulais juste confirmer notre rdv pour demain. Ça tient toujours?" (Translation: Hi [X], I just wanted to confirm our meeting for tomorrow. It still stands?)
People cancel, show up late, forget, or change locations last minute, so time becomes fragile in the field. I spent a lot of hours trying to keep up with the spreadsheets, receipts, handwritten notes, WhatsApp texts, planning routes and (semi-)planning days. And while these did not feel like research, without them, there would be no research at all.
A different kind of fieldnote
It is easy to overlook this labor of organizing things. Which platform should I use to communicate with participants? Which one is the most user friendly? Which one does not consume a lot of internet data on video calls while complying with the GDPR? Where should I have this meeting? Is this place easily accessible for respondents? Is it accessible to me? How much does each scenario cost? What is our budget? It is time to interview someone, but they brought a friend with them. What do I do? Do I carry on with the interview? Do we have an informal group conversation and leave the interview for later?
These questions lead to tasks that do not make it into the methodology section of my writing, but they shape every part of how and what I could ask. They even shaped how I felt: tired, annoyed, excited, curious.
Shedding light on the invisible
Fieldwork isn't just what happens in the field. It's what happens around it, before it, in between it, and after it. Recognizing the administrative tasks behind research is also about recognizing ourselves in the process, beyond reflexivity and positionality.