Messy Tales from Fieldwork for Design

Fieldwork is a central component in several research methodologies and traditions, and there are many handbooks dedicated to the craftmanship of how to do fieldwork. Nevertheless, fieldwork often tends to be described in many of these books in a relatively problem-free fashion. Within the fields of HCI and CSCW, most literature typically focuses on research outcomes and findings, providing a limited description of the fieldwork process. This is typically sanitized from the messy complexities that fieldwork unavoidably entails. This chapter lifts the veil and sheds light on the behind-the-scenes processes of constructing the research project and the field site, focusing specifically on messy encounters experienced during fieldwork. Drawing inspiration from feminist studies, reflexive research, and confessionals, I provide snapshots of messy situations from four different research projects. The intention of this chapter is to orient fieldwork gaze towards messy uncertainties and demonstrate how these can be used as a catalyst for learning, challenging perceived understandings, and sparking new insights about the research, the researcher, and the participants.