FOLKLIFE AND FIELDWORK: A Layman's Introduction to Field Techniques

Folk life fieldwork has gone beyond its early missions of preservation and scholarship to serve new uses, such as providing information to economists, environmentalists, and community planners. A new generation of professionally trained folklorists have emerged from university programs, and many now work in state and local organizations to sponsor concerts, web site presentations, exhibits, and other cultural heritage programs. The purpose of this 40 page guide is to provide the layperson with the skills and tools necessary to understand folk culture concepts and instruments for documentation. It is a particularly useful publication to learn more about folk culture concepts and tools for documentation. The guide discusses concepts such as: preparation and supplies, photo, video and sound documentation, and preparing release forms. Information on starting archives and preserving collections is provided. The guide provides a distinction of what field work can provide that cannot be found online or at the library.  This concise guide to doing fieldwork is graphically pleasing, with nice photos. It provides samples of an interview guide, release form, data collection sheets, and guidance on how to use information.