The last couple of days here have been pretty manic. In a final bid to complete my data collection this week and avoid a last minute panic I have spent nearly 20 hours in the forest juggling chimpanzee tracking duties and my own research. However, the effort was definitely worth it as I am pleased and relieved to announce that as of earlier this evening I have finished with the data collecting aspect of my project.
It certainly hasn’t been plain sailing – there has been bureaucracy, a misbehaving GPS, abnormally high rainfall and a distinct lack of wells to deal with among other things. Somehow though I have managed to collect a volume of data that I am satisfied with and can state with some pride that I have officially completed my first ever stint of self-led field research.
With the data in, all that remains for me to do is to analyse it and produce my write-up when I return to the UK. Whilst I am anxious about whether or not all will go smoothly when I return home with my data I realise there is nothing I can do about that right now and so I shall put my worries aside and focus on enjoying the little time I have left here to the full with the weight of my research temporarily lifted from my shoulders.
Besides, whilst I really want my project to be a success, and would love for it to win the praise of my academic supervisors, I can see that no matter what the outcome of my research, this trip will have been a truly incredible experience and will have taught me a lot about what it takes to carry out research in the field and to chase chimpanzees. With that in mind I shall now carefully pack my well-used research notebooks away and concentrate on enjoying my remaining days with the Semliki chimpanzees.
Written on Friday 3rd September
No comments:
Post a Comment