Fieldwork Friends
This focus group is an initiative led by RTG students to foster a network for sharing knowledge and practices related to linguistic fieldwork. The group’s primary aim is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences regarding modern methodologies in data collection, processing, annotation, and field data archiving.
Key areas
Field data collection
Technical prerequisites for data recordings and empirical designs for field experiments and building field corpora, basic issues like ethics in the field and organizing field metadata
Materials
Linguistics of Field data
Methodological reflections on linguistic data gathering procedures, guidelines for linguistic fieldwork, reflections on working with rural populations in different cultures.
Materials
Matthewson, Lisa 2015. On the methodology of semantic fieldwork. IJAL 70.4, 369-415
Bochnak, M. Ryan, and Lisa Matthewson 2015 (eds), Methodologies in Semantic Fieldwork. New York: Oxford University Press
Thieberger, Nicholas 2011 (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Fieldwork. New York: Oxford University Press
Field data processing
Tools such as ELAN for transcription and FLEx for data glossing
Materials
Field data annotation
Methods like Universal Dependencies (UD) for syntax and adhering to FAIR standards for creating annotations.
Materials
Field data archiving
Making corpora accessible through platforms hosting multilayer annotations, and sustainable archiving for long-term accessibility (Zenodo and GRO.data).
Materials
Activities
Group meetings
Discussion on best practices, tools, and standards in Linguistic Fieldwork
Schedule:
Tutorials
By invited experts on specialized topics
Schedule:
Networks
Reaching out relevant communities, integrating expertise
Schedule:
Workshops
Language Fieldwork-workshop
Taking place on June 2nd in Heyne Haus, Büttner Raum 1.
We are pleased to welcome two keynote speakers who will share insights from their fieldwork experiences:
PhD students will also present their fieldwork experiences and plans (see schedule below).
If you are unable to present, please inform Rebecca Arkell as soon as possible.
A group dinner is planned for the evening (location to be confirmed). If you would like to join, please RSVP to
rebecca.arkell@uni-goettingen.de by 28.05.
Workshop Schedule – June 2, 2025
09:30–10:45 – Keynote: Azeb Amha (1hr talk + 15 min Q&A)
10:45–11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00–11:30 – PhD Talk: Madeline Ladore
11:30–12:00 – PhD Talk: Rebecca Arkell
12:00–12:30 – PhD Talk: Florian Ertz
12:30–13:45 – Lunch Break
13:45–15:00 – Keynote: Elisabeth Kerr
15:00–15:15 – Break
15:15–15:45 – PhD Talk: Issouf Diarrassouba
15:45–16:15 – PhD Talk: Marta Herget
16:15–16:45 – Presentation: To be confirmed
16:45–17:00 – Break
17:00–17:45 – Group Discussion & Wrap-Up
19:30/20:00 – Dinner with Speakers (RSVP to Rebecca Arkell by 28.05)
Friends
Rebecca ArkellMarta Hegret
Madeline Ladore
Stavros Skopeteas