Fieldwork and Data Collection

Deep Engagement, Collaborative Methods, and Ethical Practice

At the heart of The Highland Institute’s research lies a commitment to immersive, long-term fieldwork and the co-production of knowledge with highland communities across Northeast India and beyond. Our approach is grounded in ethnographic depth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and mutual trust with communities who live in some of the most culturally rich yet structurally marginal regions of Asia.

We believe fieldwork is not only about gathering data but about building meaningful relationships—across generations, epistemologies, and lifeworlds.

 

Where We Work

Our researchers conduct fieldwork in a wide range of locations across:

• Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya
• The India–Myanmar borderlands
• Highland zones in Bhutan, Nepal, and Northern Myanmar
• Comparative engagements in the Arctic, Latin America, and Southeast Asia through partner collaborations

Many of our researchers live and work in the communities they study, enabling a depth of local engagement rarely found in short-term academic research.

What We Do in the Field

Fieldwork at the Institute is methodologically diverse and context-sensitive, with techniques drawn from anthropology, history, environmental science, religious studies, health studies, and visual ethnography.

Some of our common activities include:

• Participant Observation & Deep Hanging Out
  Embedded engagement in the everyday social, ritual, and political life of communities.
• Oral History & Testimony Collection
  Life histories, kinship narratives, ancestral memory, and intergenerational storytelling.
• Dream & Omen Documentation
  Part of our unique work in the anthropology of dreaming and non-verbal knowledge systems.
• Audio-Visual Ethnography
  Filmmaking, photography, and soundscape recordings to preserve and share intangible cultural heritage.
• Focus Group Discussions & Community Workshops
  Especially for participatory climate and health projects, such as MyCClimate, Earthkeepers, and PluriMed.
• Ecological Surveys & Biodiversity Mapping
  Often carried out in collaboration with citizen scientists and school twinning programs.
• Archival & Museum-Based Fieldwork
  In partnership with institutions such as the Cambridge MAA, French Institute of Pondicherry, and Pitt Rivers Museum.

Ethics and Community Involvement

We adhere to a strong code of research ethics, shaped by community consent, transparency, and cultural protocols. Key ethical commitments include:

• Prior, informed, and ongoing community consent
• Co-authorship and shared ownership of data and outcomes
• Compensation for time, hospitality, and traditional knowledge shared
• Respect for spiritual, ritual, and taboo boundaries

We actively involve local researchers, elders, school groups, and grassroots organisations in our projects—not simply as informants, but as co-producers of knowledge.

Student Fieldwork and PGCertR Integration

Students enrolled in the Postgraduate Certificate in Research (PGCertR) participate in mentored fieldwork as part of their training. Each student is paired with a member of the Highland Fellowship and supported throughout their time in the field, from research design and risk assessment to community entry and data analysis.

Fieldwork typically takes place between September and November, followed by a Winter Research Colloquium, where students present their preliminary findings to an academic and community audience.

Data Curation and Accessibility

We are developing a Field Archive and Oral Literature Repository, which will house a growing collection of:

• Field recordings
• Oral literature transcriptions
• Ecological maps
• Photographic and audiovisual materials
• Annotated field diaries

While some of this data is restricted due to cultural or ethical considerations, we are committed to making large portions open-access through Highlander Press, our video library, and community-facing knowledge platforms.

Get Involved

If you are a researcher, student, or institution interested in participating in or supporting field-based research with The Highland Institute, please contact:

info@highlandinstitute.org
highlandinstitute.org/research

Together, we believe that place-based research can illuminate not only the complexities of Highland Asia but also broader questions of knowledge, resilience, and relational life.