Introduction: Conducting Fieldwork in Africa

Abstract

This chapter discusses the purpose of the book, which is to focus on the process and challenges of conducting research in Africa. The chapter argues that as more and more doctoral researchers, beyond the discipline of anthropology, choose to carry out fieldwork on the African continent, the rise in publications on the findings of such research has far surpassed the rather slender body of literature that focuses on the research process itself. The chapter highlights the ways in which the current volume offers assistance to researchers approaching the field for the first time. The chapter concludes with an overview of the nine chapters included in the book.