By Land, air, or internet? Doing fieldwork in a time of climate crisis

Speaker(s):

Nick Nash, Critical Research in Social Psychology (CRISP) Group, The University of Bath

Abstract:

Flying is a high-carbon activity that significantly contributes to the climate emergency. Throughout the pandemic, researchers adopted digital solutions for meetings traditionally requiring long-distance travel, such as for conferences or international collaborations (e.g. Zoom, Teams, Mural, Gather.Town) . These solutions continue to be embraced to reduce the climate impact, and increase accessibility, of international research projects. As sustainable travel policies become increasingly popular, we reflect on the practical, ethical, and methodological implications that such policies may have on research collaborations. Practical implications include challenges in communication and resource accessibility. Theoretical and methodological implications may emerge for data collection and analyses, particularly for fieldwork and qualitative research. Diversity, equality and inclusion impacts should also be considered as researchers of different career stages and demographics may experience different impacts on their professional development. This session will outline and provide a space to critically discuss potential implications of air travel-free research project policies.