FIELDWORK TECHNIQUES

FIELDWORK TECHNIQUES

1. Environmental quality assessment (EQA)

   • Aim: evaluate the quality of environment around various locations
   • Method: Looks at no. of factors/aspects - bipolar table total score ranging from -3 to +3 (eg. Maintainence of buildings scored 2)
   • Limitations: subjective, snapshot, doesnt take into account date/time

2. Index of decay

   • Aim: assess the care/maintenance of the place
   • Limitations: subjective, one snapshot, only looks at buildings
   • Method: Looks at diff. factors, measured on none-much scale, scores given, totals added together to produce final no.

3. Land use Survey

   • Aim: to look at high/low order shops, who shops cater for, derelict and construction also
   • Method: tally number of places for locals, tourists & both
   • Limitations: cant tell how long they've been under construction, don't know size of construction, doesn't show exact types of shops

4. Clone town survey

   • Aim: to see how towns are same/different & assessing shops owned independently or chain
   • Method: tallied diff. types of shops, chain/ independant (Clone town = total points (ind. = 50, chain=5, every type=5) / no. of shops
   • Limitations: score doesn't take into account size/ no. of shops, unsure of whether its chain or ind. , just looks at ratio between ind. & chain

5. Participant observation/ stakeholders

   • Aim: to see who is there & who's invested in the town
   • Method: Stand at a place & count for a timed period and tally them in categories (male, female)
   • Limitations: sometimes can be too many people to tally

6. Beach profiling

   • AIM: to see is long shore drift is occurring & if so which way (to work out cross sectional area of the beach)
   • METHOD: sample length (m) and angle (degrees) of each facet (break of slope) from bottom to top of storm beach USING A CLINOMETER, RANGING POLES and TAPE MEASURE
   • LIMITATIONS: only pebbles measured so dependent of previous tide/weather conditions

7. GIS (arcGIS)

   • AIM: Used to show where the sea defences were put on a map
   • LIMITATIONS: Human error/ computer error, NOT completely accurate

8. Pebble clast/size

   • AIM: To assess whether long shore drift is occurring & if so, in which direction, to see where the clasts are smaller/rounder at any one site
   • METHOD: a systematic sample at ....m intervals along top to bottom of storm beach
   • LIMITATIONS: assessment based on opinion (SUBJECTIVE) - different groups assessing differently. ALSO beach nourishment is human interference

9. Bi-polar analysis of sea defences

   • METHOD: 8 sea defences assessed using variety of categories, including COST, VISUAL IMPACT & EFFECTIVENESS
   • LIMITATIONS: Subjective (visual impact judged by eye), only small section measured, beach size effected by previous tide/weather
   • AIM: to assess the impact/effectiveness of the sea defences in Saudersfoot bay

10. Epitome words

11. observation

12. Photographs

13. Questionnaires

14. SECONDARY FIELDWORK

    • old photographs
    • postcards
    • old files from library
    • old newspapers
    • CENSUS DATA
    • maps etc
    • websites
    • local reports
    • Google earth
    • ZOOPLA.com
    • upmystreet.com

15. Cost benefit analysis of sea defences

    • AIm: to assess which sea defence scheme is most effective
    • METHOD: sea defences cost compared to value of properties its defending
    • LIMITATIONS: not all house prices are the same & can change, difficult to value other assets e.g ROADS

16. interviews