How do geographers conduct fieldwork?

Having completed the Preview exercise, you are ready to proceed with the actual field study (if you have not completed the Preview activity, please do so now). Fieldwork has a long tradition in geography. The "field" refers to a geographic area under scientific investigation. Geographers conducting fieldwork make observations and measurements, perform interviews and surveys, take photographs, and write field notes in order to obtain data about a particular place. You can learn some of these techniques during a self-guided field study of the University Hill district.

The purpose of this field study is to observe and interpret socioeconomic patterns in the University Hill district as you walk a transect that stretches from the University of Colorado campus to the termination of College Ave. near 5th St. Along the way, you can take notes at 10 observation points on how urban space on the Hill is being used by members of the Boulder community.

Please click here to open a window that contains the Field Procedure, which you can print and take with you on the walk. The Field Procedure contains questions for each of the 10 stops of the field study. Next, click here to open a window that contains the Field Map, which you can also print and take with you to the field. You may need to adjust the image size in order to fit the map onto one printed page (on most PCs you can do this under Properties in the Print menu. Macintosh users can do this under Page Setup in the File menu.).

You are now ready to enter the field! Please follow the directions on the Field Procedure, put on comfortable walking shoes, and remember to take a notebook and pen with you.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!


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