Mary Upton Field Work tips

1. Fieldwork tips
Before you go:
1) Visa requirements (look up relevant High Commission in UK)
2) Risk assessment form
3) Ethical clearance from the OU [http://intranet.open.ac.uk/research/ethics/] and from the local
body
4) Contact Occupational Health for vaccinations if necessary (email them at least 6 weeks before)
5) Book equipment from your department
6) Tell the Research School your overseas contact details
7) Make a database of contacts (from internet search, lit review, etc)
8) Email/fax as many possible participants as you can to introduce yourself/request interview
9) Ask friends and your departmental colleagues for “friendly face” contacts/country tips
10) Get hold of a Rough Guide or similar
11) Get local currency/travellers’ cheques etc
12) Look up FCO travel advice (www.fco.gov.uk)
13) Register (or find out how to once there) with the British Embassy
14) Find out 999 equivalent
To take with you:
1) Insurance certificate (from http://intranet.open.ac.uk/finance/p7_2.asp)
(NB only valid if you’ve done a risk assessment)
2) Photocopies of all important docs (passport, visa, tickets etc)
3) Passport-size photos
4) Business cards
5) An old mobile ‘phone (make sure unlocked, buy a sim card there)
6) Plug converter
7) CD-RWs, pen drives (make multiple copies of everything!)
Adapted from notes by Adele Langlois