(Mis)adventures in the field: Reflections on Risk management in Social Research

Postgraduate research, particularly maritime social research, is a solitary project where data collection is commonly done alone and/or overseas. Whilst institutional practices are in place to assess risks of field sites and safeguard researchers throughout the project, events that could halt research do happen such as having your luggage stolen whilst in transit to commence a sea voyage or being viciously mugged after a day's interview. This presentation focuses on the case of two researchers’ personal accounts of experiencing and coping with life/project threatening-events. Drawing from these cases, the presentation also reflects on the strengths and opportunities for the improvement of the current university guidelines for lone researchers and its implications for research practice.