Nicolas Price

Nicolas Price is a Latin American Politics MSc student (2018/19). Here he tells us about his fieldwork trip to Chile.

For four weeks during the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to undertake fieldwork in South America for my final dissertation, which looks at the integration of Haitian migrants in Chile.

I had decided early on that a key component of my research would include fieldwork in Chile due to the realisation that I could only acquire key data by physically going there. I had a rich pre-existing network which I used to secure interviews with highly qualified and interesting individuals; I visited national archives and libraries to access sources that could not be found online; and I did some on-location ethnographic observation exercises which provided me with fascinating perspectives. It was, as a whole, a highly beneficial and memorable experience.

While I recognise that fieldwork research is not necessary to every dissertation, I do believe that, at the very least, it provides a level of depth and insight that would otherwise be lacking. I highly recommend anyone who comes across this opportunity to pursue it – the benefits extend far beyond the academic sphere.