Three weeks have passed since I came to Tokyo to start my fieldwork. I have spent the past few weeks (and will continue to do so) contacting and recruiting research participants, meeting with them in person, explaining the study, arranging dates for my observations and recordings, and working on literature reviews.
This week, I found out that I need to obtain ethics approval from an institutional ethics board to conduct my observations and focus groups within the institution. I filled in a form and submitted it to the committee.
I want to mention a medical scholar who is participating in my research and has greatly helped me collect data. He is a very busy scholar and physician, but he is always willing to meet and share research papers and ideas with me. I really cannot thank him enough for his support. Without this help, I would be struggling with the field research. I thought this was a very important aspect. In the field, you need to find someone with a strong local network, focus on one connection to build a relationship, to gain a deeper understanding, and expand the research sites.
I have also learnt that I need to take time to establish rapport with the participants and ensure ethical considerations before initiating data collection. I assume I can start collecting data at the beginning of February, meaning I will spend a month preparing in the field. But it is much easier for me to do these processes here in Japan because I can have face-to-face meetings with people immediately, which has allowed me to be active and motivated.
I talk to Luca every day. I have a disciplined life here, but he seems to be struggling a bit with living alone. But this period is very important for us to concentrate on our own things. Regarding living in Japan, I really enjoy cooking and eating many different foods, and I also enjoy shopping for stationery.
My achievements in Week 55
- found two participants and confirmed that they are willing to participate in my research
- submitted my ethics application to an institutional committee in Japan
Goals for Week 56
- have some meetings with my research participants
- continue editing chapters
