ABSTRACT
Having finally figured out where to go, you now have to plunge into the actual trip – a step fraught with apprehension. If this plunge has been preceded by a preparatory trip (see Chapter 2), established contacts and, hopefully, an understanding of the lay of the land at the research site will make the adjustment somewhat easier. Nevertheless, you do not usually know what to expect or have only a vague notion of possible problems. Even for those who have gone to the field on a preparatory research trip, getting started on the actual research is often a chore. The early stages of research are most taxing, particularly because you do not know what to expect or, in many cases, what exactly you are doing.
