Strategy for Entering Research
Sites and Conducting Fieldwork
Negotiation, Rapport Building, and
Disclosure
• In order to enter a research site and conduct
fieldwork, the researcher required a flexible work
plan, negotiating access and relations with the
members, and deciding how much to disclose
about the study to interviewees and gatekeepers.
• Negotiating, rapport building, and gaining the
access can be seen as interconnected processes
during the field work.
• The process of negotiation and rapport building
is an ongoing process that starts with first contact
of the researcher with community members and
goes on until the researcher leaves the research
site (Gans, 1982; Johnson 1975; Ryen, 2003).
• Establishing a trustworthy relationship with the
respondents is considered as fundamental in any
interview based research where people discuss
their private lives and experiences (May, 1993).
• Some participants may express an uncooperative
attitude or an overt unwillingness to participate in
the research (Neuman, 2000).
• Besides disclosure about the personal identity, it
is essential to decide how much to disclose about
the research study to participants, gatekeepers,
and others.