Paper short abstract:

We are going to present various experiences among Ph.D. students that have just started their research at the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology (University of Ljubljana).

Paper long abstract:

We are going to discuss various experiences among Ph.D. students that have just started their research at the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology (University of Ljubljana). Specifically, how the pandemic influenced their research work (e.g. their possibility of conducting fieldwork, work from home, library closures, new communication technologies, remote conferences, limited networking opportunities), other possibilities of conducting ethnographic fieldwork (looking for new forms of research, e.g., virtual ethnography), as well as new barriers and ways to overcome them. Also, we will question how the new situation affected their personal life as well as work, and how these two crucial segments of our lives equally shaped and challenged each other (e.g. additional workloads at work and home, home-schooling children, and working at the same time, etc.). We will also explore what to expect after the pandemic; in what way will the pandemic affect our way and scope of work. Mainly, how the changes will affect the implementation of fieldwork, and how these will be reflected in the quality of research work. We will also address potential problems in research funding, changes in methodology, and research questions as a result of the pandemic.