ABSTRACT
Ethnographic research relies heavily on the production and analysis of fieldnotes, yet rarely explores how these are developed, amended, erased, and rewritten. Anthropologists emphasize the iterative and dynamic qualities of ethnography by arguing that intertextuality frames the field/s and writings of the field, which are constantly written and rewritten. If the field changes, does this then mean that fieldnotes are rewritten and reinterpreted, too? Does the field change through our writing? In this chapter, I engage with these questions by conducting an analysis of my use and reuse of fieldnotes over 10 years of ethnographic research. Drawing on a study of the experiences of children and parents traveling for care in Argentina, I critically examine how I originally wrote my fieldnotes, made changes after months of fieldwork, reworded my notes during later field visits, and re-interpreted my fieldnotes through new theoretical perspectives and life experiences. I argue that examining the creation and reworking of fieldnotes should be a central part of the work we do as it can shed light on the processes and tensions involved in ethnographic inquiry and knowledge production.
