Field Schools for Cultural Documentation

Delia Alexander (left) and Tamara Hemmerlein examine their field research slides during the American Folklife Center’s field school in Bloomington, Indiana (2000). Photo: David A. Taylor.

Every summer, the American Folklife Center sponsors at least one intensive, introductory field school on cultural documentation in partnership with an institution of higher learning. Held in various locations across the US, the three-week long field school provides hands-on training in ethnographic documentary techniques needed for effective fieldwork concerning folklore and related fields.

Topics covered include: research ethics, project planning, interviewing, documentary photography, sound recording, writing fieldnotes, archiving, and delivering public presentations on research findings.

• View more details about upcoming Field Schools and How to Apply