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Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 5, pages 5–9 (2021)Cite this article

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As a result of identity prejudice, certain individuals are more vulnerable to conflict and violence when they are in the field. It is paramount that all fieldworkers be informed of the risks some colleagues may face, so that they can define best practice together: here we recommend strategies to minimize risk for all individuals conducting fieldwork.

Everyone deserves to conduct fieldwork as safely as possible; yet not all fieldworkers face the same risks going into the field. At-risk individuals include minority identities of the following: race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity and/or religion. When individuals from these backgrounds enter unfamiliar communities in the course of fieldwork, they may be placed in an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe ‘othered’ position, and prejudice may manifest against them1. Both immediately and over the long term, prejudice-driven conflict can threaten a researcher’s physical health and safety, up to and including their life. Additionally, such situations impact mental health, productivity and professional development.

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Fig. 1: Example situations experienced by at-risk individuals in the field.

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Acknowledgements

The universality of this document was accomplished with the help of numerous professionals of varying backgrounds and perspectives. We thank the faculty, students and professionals who have provided deeply considered feedback. Specifically, we thank the following individuals: S. Aguillon, L. Arcila Hernandez, K. Barker, S. Barve, A. Belasen, C. S. Buckler, D. Chang van Oordt, C. Chappell, M. Chatterjee, N. Chen, K. Covino, A. Darby, K. Eisen, D. Esparza, A. Flecker, M. Geber, S. Hejmadi, N. Hofmeister, K. Holmes, M. Howard, S. Kariuki, E. Lombardi, I. Lovette, A. K. Logan, H. Malik, C. McDonald, C. Miller, C. Mittan, C. Moreau, T. Ngyuen, K. Poveda, V. Ruiz, C. Specht, Y. H. Suh, S. Taylor, J. Uehling, J. Vanden Heuvel, E. Williams, M. Vitousek and S. Xayarath Hernandez. We also thank the following organizations: American Ornithological Society Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Black AF in STEM, Cornell Agricultural and Life Science Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Cornell University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Amelia-Juliette Claire Demery, Monique Avery Pipkin.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Amelia-Juliette Claire Demery & Monique Avery Pipkin

  2. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Amelia-Juliette Claire Demery & Monique Avery Pipkin

Authors
  1. Amelia-Juliette Claire Demery
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  2. Monique Avery Pipkin
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Both co-first authors contributed equally to writing the document, contributing relevant resources (both written and peer feedback) from its initial draft to final submission.

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Correspondence to Amelia-Juliette Claire Demery or Monique Avery Pipkin.

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Demery, AJ.C., Pipkin, M.A. Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions. Nat Ecol Evol 5, 5–9 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01328-5

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