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

  • Lameta
  • Saymore

    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

  • The University of Chicago Press Journals

    Bochnak, M. Ryan, and Lisa Matthewson 2015 (eds), Methodologies in Semantic Fieldwork. New York: Oxford University Press

  • Methodologies in Semantic Fieldwork

    Thieberger, Nicholas 2011 (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Fieldwork. New York: Oxford University Press

  • The Oxford Handbook of Linguistics Fieldwork

    Field data processing


    Tools such as ELAN for transcription and FLEx for data glossing

    Materials

  • ELAN
  • FLEx

    Field data annotation


    Methods like Universal Dependencies (UD) for syntax and adhering to FAIR standards for creating annotations.

    Materials

  • FAIR Principles
  • Universal Dependencies

    Field data archiving


    Making corpora accessible through platforms hosting multilayer annotations, and sustainable archiving for long-term accessibility (Zenodo and GRO.data).

    Materials

  • ANNIS
  • GRO.data

    Activities


    Group meetings


    Discussion on best practices, tools, and standards in Linguistic Fieldwork

    Schedule:

  • 14.01.2025: Fieldwork Friends vision
  • 04.02.2025: Tools for data collection and archiving: overview and Fieldworks Explorer
  • Tutorials


    By invited experts on specialized topics

    Schedule:

  • summer 2025: Tutorial on video recordings
  • Workshops


    Exchanging on field approaches and outcomes of field trips

    Schedule:

  • 02.06.2025 Back from the field
  • Guest Speakers: Azeb Amha and Sara Petrollino (Universiteit Leiden)
  • LinG Conversations

    Networks


    Reaching out relevant communities, integrating expertise

    Schedule:

  • Creating an African linguistics network on fieldwork; kick off meeting to be announced soon

  • Friends


    Rebecca Arkell

    Marta Hegret

    Madeline Ladore

    Stavros Skopeteas