Geography Department > Preparing For Research Abroad

Preparing For Research Abroad

(provided by Sonja Brodt, April, 1998)

This guide is aimed primarily at graduate students who are U.S. citizens and who plan to do their thesis or dissertation fieldwork abroad. It is strongly suggested that if you fall into this category, you read over these guidelines near the BEGINNING of your program, even if you are not sure yet where you want to go or what sort of a project you want to pursue, because many of the essential activities and deadlines need to be planned for FAR IN ADVANCE. The topics below are listed in approximate chronological order, meaning that those that must be considered very early on in your program are listed at the beginning, and those that become important only once you are actually preparing to leave for your trip are listed later.

All information in this guide is subject to change and should be independently verified before taking any action.

Funding

Chances are you will require some outside source of funding to carry out your fieldwork. Funding agencies vary in their procedures, but most require you to submit an application, including a full proposal, up to one year in advance of the date that you want to start your fieldwork. Therefore, it is usually advisable at least to begin thinking about and if possible to begin working on your proposal during the first year of your program.

Broadly applicable funding agencies for geography and other social science students
1. National Science Foundation
2. Social Science Research Council
3. Fulbright
4. East-West Center (for East-West Center fellows or affiliates)
5. Wenner-Gren Foundation
6. American Council of Learned Societies
7. American Association of University Women
Other sources (Depending on the topic and geographic region of your study, other funding sources are available.)
1. India - American Institute of Indian Studies (applications available at the Center for South Asian Studies in Moore Hall)
  The Watamull Foundation
2. Pakistan - The American Institute of Pakistani Studies
3. Other countries, Pacific Islands, etc.
Additional reference sources for funding searches
1. IRIS Database
2. Community of Science
3. The Office of Research Services
  (Sakamaki Hall) has periodicals, reference books, and a workstation for locating extramural funding sources
General advice on filling in applications, computing budgets, etc.
1. Cost of Living Allowances
  The Federal Government publishes Cost of Living Allowances for many cities throughout the world, which can be used to calculate your budget. These are available at the Office of Research Services in Sakamaki Hall, and also in East-West Center program offices.
2. Salary budget
  If you need help figuring out how much to budget for something like a research assistant, your best bet is to ask people from the country you are going to. If they do not know how much researchers or assistants get paid, then ask them what a reasonable salary for a schoolteacher or some similar profession would be.
3. The problem of plane tickets
  Many students plan to spend from 9 months to one full year or more away in the field. However, regular tickets issued by most U.S. airlines are only valid for up to six months, and special tickets of longer validity typically cost about twice the regular airfare. For those traveling to certain regions of Asia, this difference could amount to an extra $1,000 to $2,000 spent on airfare! One solution is to travel on a foreign airline, many of which offer tickets of longer validity but at similar low prices as the regular six-month tickets of U.S. airlines. The problem with this solution is that federal funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and others have a built-in requirement that travel must be on a U.S. carrier. Some of them, however, may give permission to use a foreign carrier if you can demonstrate the price difference, and also if using a U.S. airline will require a lay-over of longer than 6 hours.
  
  Therefore, there are two things to do when applying for funding:
  1. Check with several travel agents BEFORE calculating and submitting your budget to determine a typical airfare, and BE SURE to mention that you need to know the fare for whatever time period you are planning, and not just for 6 months (some airlines may also not even offer tickets of longer duration).
  2. Also, check with the funding agency to see if you could obtain a waiver of the U.S. airline requirement, if you find that there is a large price difference between U.S. and foreign airlines.
4. A note of caution
  Funding often comes with an expiration date that might be changed if you apply for an extension. If you are likely to be away in the field when the expiration date rolls around, be sure to have someone in Hawai'i who is authorized to fill out or send you the appropriate forms for requesting an extension. Otherwise, you will lose whatever unused funds remain!
5. Human Subjects Research Approval
  University and government-based funding sources often require the researcher to receive the approval of a special committee if the research involves human subjects (in order to ensure their safety and confidentiality). Most research that only involves interviewing can be exempted from this requirement, but the same forms must be completed to receive the exemption. This forms are available from the Office of Research Services, and require at least a day or more to be

Preliminary Reconnaissance Trips

Pros and Cons
Seasoned researchers will often recommend taking a preliminary reconnaissance trip to your field site, especially if you have never been there before. A short trip of a few weeks can help in establishing all-important contacts "on the ground" (with local researchers, university staff, and staff of non-governmental organizations). A short trip can also help to familiarize you with the physical and socio-cultural conditions, locate potential field sites and research assistants, and diminish the time lost to culture shock when you go back to start the actual work.Be warned, however, that taking too short a trip or lacking a focus during the trip may leave you feeling unnecessarily overwhelmed and discouraged about your proposed project. It is strongly suggested that you discuss all relevant issues relating to a reconnaissance trip carefully with your advisor and others who have done research in your proposed area.
Funding
Some agencies earmark small amounts of funding specifically for reconnaissance and planning trips.

Research Visa

Pro's and con's of getting research versus tourist visa
Circumstances differ by country, but, in general, tourist visas tend to be more easily and quickly available while research visas require more time and effort. Tourist visas may, however, only be valid for shorter periods of time than is required for one's research, and they may also carry other restrictions on allowable activities and areas that can be visited. Research visas may offer more authority for accessing restricted areas and resources such as public archives.
When to start thinking about it and applying
Be forewarned that some countries take a very long time to process visa requests, especially for research visas. It is recommended that you begin inquiring about the exact procedure required about one year in advance of your expected departure date. Besides official sources such as embassies and consulates, your best bet for current information on how your visa request will actually proceed is to talk with others who have recently traveled to the country in question and have already gone through the process.
Basic procedures for different countries
1. India - You should begin procedures for acquiring a research visa about one year in advance, since a request can take from 6 to 12 months to process. The surest way to acquire a research visa is to apply for a research grant from the American Institute of Indian Studies. The necessary government forms are included as part of the application packet, and even if you are not awarded a grant from AIIS, the organization will help to process a visa request from you anyway. Since AIIS has offices with representatives working full-time in Delhi, it can generally ensure timely processing (about 6 months or so). If your research proposal is approved, you will receive a letter from the Government of India (via AIIS) which you then must send to the nearest consulate or embassy of India (for Hawai'i this is in San Francisco) with your passport and a fee. Luckily, this process usually only takes a few days, not counting mailing time. Information about applying to AIIS is available in the Center for South Asian Studies.
2. Thailand - The following information is taken from materials from the National Research Council of Thailand. Up-to-date information can be obtained from this agency by writing:
  1. The researcher must obtain a form requesting permission to conduct research from a Royal Thai embassy or consulate or directly from the National Research Council. This application should be submitted not less than 90 days prior to the anticipated start date together with 2 letters of recommendation from the university. Upon receiving a letter of permission, it must be submitted to a consulate or embassy to obtain the visa. Masters and doctoral students as well as other researchers will be required to deposit a fee of approximately Baht 4,000 upon entry in Thailand, which will be returned when the researcher sends 3 copies of a complete research report in Thai or English to the National Research Council. For full details, see the information provided by the National Research Council.
3. Laos - It is thought to be impossible to obtain a research visa for Laos as an individual researcher, because the system is set up to deal only with organizations such as UN agencies, foreign government research groups, non-governmental organizations. Therefore, it is essential to establish personal contact with a Lao government collaborator, whose institution can take care of everything and have the visa waiting for you at the consulate. If you do not already have such contact, check with faculty who may.

Health Considerations

Vaccinations
Some vaccinations that are administered as series need to be started several weeks or even months in advance. Get further information from Federal government guidelines, Kaiser travel clinic and other travel doctors.
Health insurance
Some insurance companies provide health coverage specifically geared towards traveling and living overseas, and many include emergency evacuation coverage (guaranteed transportation to better medical facilities if you have an emergency in a place with inadequate facilities). Information can be found at:
Health Insurance for Travelers
Also consider
1. Health Care Global
  Wallach & Co., Inc.
  107 West Federal Str.
  PO Box 480
  Middleburg, VA 22117-0480
  1-800-237-6615
2. International SOS Assistance, Inc.
  8 Neshaminy Interplex
  Trevose, PA 19053-6956
  1-800-523-8930
Reference books to take along
One that comes highly recommended for remote, rural areas especially:
1. Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook
  by David Werner (1992)
  Published by: The Hesperian Foundation
  PO Box 1692, Palo Alto, CA 94302

While You Are Gone