Going Global? Long-Haul Fieldwork in Undergraduate Geography

Fieldwork continues to underpin undergraduate geography in the UK and elsewhere. In recent years fieldwork destinations in UK geography programmes have grown more global in scope. This paper examines the pressures and processes that underpin the increased reach of fieldwork in undergraduate geography. Based on a recently implemented research practice module that includes long-haul fieldwork, the academic value of such fieldwork and its positioning in subject benchmarking statements are discussed, and the implications of long-haul fieldwork, in particular for effective module design and assessment forms, are further considered. The authors suggest that reflective research diaries are a particularly useful assessment form for students to fully engage and consider the political and ethical dimensions of long-haul fieldwork.