As the foundation of the discipline, ethnographic methods are crucial to
the work folklorists do. In the field school, students are trained in
field documentation techniques (interviewing, audio and visual
recording, etc.) and work together as a team to document the folklife of
a specific community. An immersive experience, students live in the
community they are documenting for approximately one month.

Throughout the field school, guest instructors present workshops on topics such as ethnographic writing, compiling archival metadata, and documentary photography. Living and working together, students also share this one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience rural life in Newfoundland. The fieldschool is the bedrock of our graduate programs and thus is required for all graduate students.