Paper short abstract:

This paper outlines the remote research conducted for my MSc Dissertation. Through exploring the adaptations adopted to adhere to current restrictions, this paper outlines the benefits, challenges and lessons learned through conducting research within the context of a global pandemic.

Paper long abstract:

Current COVID-19 restrictions have significantly impacted the ways in which development research can be conducted, resulting in researchers seeking effective physically-distanced research formats to facilitate their fieldwork. Whilst initially designed to be conducted in the field, my MSc Dissertation had to be adapted so that it could be conducted remotely. Concerned with the ways in which human-wildlife interactions are depicted in the Kenyan media landscape and the ways in which they interact with dominant conservation discourses, my research design was adapted to focus on a small cross-section of the Kenyan media landscape, including content gathered from Kenyan newspapers the Daily Nation and Sunday Nation, the American Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF), and two smaller Kenyan NGOs Ewaso Lions and Lion Guardians. This paper outlines the dissertation’s use of Content Analysis, comparative Critical Discourse Analysis and Semi-structured Interviews and argues that such an approach provides pertinent insight into the ways in which discursive practices and the dominance of Western ideology in contemporary conservation limit the progressive capacity of the sector. This paper also outlines the challenges faced when conducting research remotely, including the ethical considerations when handling social media data, the challenge of developing a rapport with research participants remotely and the “Zoom fatigue” they experienced in the height of the pandemic. In doing so, this paper argues that whilst not perfect, a flexible and mixed methods approach to remotely conducted research can result in fruitful and informative contributions to field research in the developing world.