http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
Delegating fieldwork in a global pandemic to study livelihoods in remote small island communities
This field study is part of a research project conducted to analyze livelihoods in remote small island communities. Many island communities in the Philippines are not realizing livelihoods development balanced with inclusive and sustainability goals due to smallness of size, remoteness, and vulnerability to natural hazards. There is limited empirical evidence to establish the different contexts that could shed light into the persistent underdevelopment of these small island communities. Our research aimed to contribute to the gap in knowledge about small island context of livelihood innovations, through the case studies of four selected island municipalities with highest poverty incidences. The challenge of conducting small island social research given the remoteness of the sites was exacerbated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent quarantine lockdowns. Adaptation of remote approaches to data gathering became necessary for mitigating against interruptions in the research work. Online research approaches were used, in combination with appropriate and feasible offline methods as required by the balancing of robustness standards and the circumstances on the ground. Our adapted approach of delegating fieldwork enabled empowerment as local peoples were trained and monitored online as co-investigators in the remote field sites, particularly in the conduct of remote mapping and sampling of households, surveys, and key informant interviews. Networked video-teleconferencing and voice-call applications through mobile internet connectivity underpinned the conduct of training and the constant monitoring of the delegated fieldwork.
Susan T. Bacud, Aileen V. Lapitan, Rodmyr F. Datoon, Francis John F. Faderogao, Emmanuel C. Flores, and Farawyn E. Sarmiento.