During this past summer I was in Ghana for fieldwork as part of my VENI research project. It was such a rewarding and challenging time in the field. I made copious observational notes and wrote my reflections on a daily basis during this time. However, since returning to the Netherlands and given the hectic start … Continue reading Lift every voice and sing: sound, emotion and affect in the fieldwork encounter
In line with taking time to enjoy the rejections and acceptance in academic publishing life, I am happy to share the news of my book chapter which is currently in print in a volume on 'Tourism, Change and the Global South' edited by Jarkko and Jayne. This chapter has had a long incubation period starting … Continue reading New book chapter in print: Images, instruments and the governance capacity of local governments in tourism development planning
What serendipity is this!?! I have been searching for a document I remember I had once made listing all the cost/scholarship amounts of my expensive university education so far. I just couldn't remember the name of this document so I was going folder by folder opening every word file I come across with the faint … Continue reading Thoughts on Ghana…so far (2nd November, 2014)
So, as you read this research article, please remember that this success you are seeing did not happen overnight. It is only the tip of the iceberg underneath which has been 2 years of sordid hard work, sacrifice, dedication, disappointment and persistence. Don't give up on your manuscript, thesis, dissertation or whatever writing project you face. Keep pushing, keep grafting, and know that disappointments, heck even straight failure would come, but persist until you find a home for that manuscript. Just don't give up......
How time flies! (that is a metaphor right there but I will get to that later). With a mixture of sadness and gladness, today is my last day in Guildford where I have been on a research visit to the University of Surrey for the past two weeks. It has been a very good and productive … Continue reading Metaphors we fly by: 2 weeks at the University of Surrey
As a Ghanaian keenly interested in the development of my country I feel very frustrated most times when I think of the considerable abuse of power coupled with the systemic and structural constraints to innovative thinking among planners and policy makers. Within this context of yearning for development in Ghana, the conduct of my fieldwork … Continue reading Researcher Reflexivity in Planning Research: My view from Elmina, Ghana*
Unlike mainly quantitative research that rely on the cliché of number crunching, interviews as used in qualitative research allow one to get access to a wealth of information that can provide insights over and above what the numbers tell. This makes the use of interview data in research a joy. However, the very joy of … Continue reading The pain, pain and some joy of transcription
This blog post was first written for and published on 6th November, 2014 by the Sheffield Institute for International Development (SIID) under the 'Students Insights' feature of their website. I am republishing it here without edit but with only the addition of pictures. I have so far enjoyed my PhD journey which started in September, … Continue reading The boredom and joys of fieldwork in Ghana
Emmanuel Akwasi Adu-Ampong 