Field Realities of Research Beyond Data

What does it take to become a good health researcher? For sixteen fresh public health graduates, the answer came not from textbooks, but from their experience of data collection. Tasked by HERD International, these young professionals stepped into the field to gather the data for an ongoing research on health system strengthening in Pokhara Metropolitan City of Nepal. However, gathering data is not just about collecting information. It has a lot to do with the preparatory work, getting familiarized with the location, building rapport with the community and garnering trust.

About our research

We have been implementing an urban health system strengthening research project entitled Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health System (CHORUS) in Pokhara Metropolitan City. As the project enters evaluation phase, we aim to understand healthcare utilization, behavior, and service-seeking patterns among patients with diabetes and hypertension who received services from selected public health facilities and pharmacies enrolled in our intervention. From December 2024 to February 2025, our team of dedicated field researchers traveled across various wards (27, 29, 30, 31, and 32) with a set of questionnaires and necessary data collection equipment such as blood pressure apparatus, glucometers, weighing scales, and stadiometers. Before heading out, they were trained on using data collection tools, measuring blood pressure and blood sugar, and conducting interviews through hands-on role-plays. Once divided into pairs, they formed support systems that would prove vital in the weeks ahead.

Insights from field researchers

Field researchers’ initial approach in data collection was to earn the community’s trust. That meant understanding local cultures and building rapport. A quick introduction, followed by a simple, “is there anyone in your home with diabetes or high blood pressure?” became their mantra for the next several weeks.

For the young public health aspirants, it was time-consuming and physically demanding, especially in areas where roads disappeared into muddy trails or climbed into the hills. One researcher reflected, “Scooter rides on rough roads, hiking to hillside homes, waiting in crowded health campaigns—these were some of the challenges we faced, which we also embraced.”

Despite the tough terrain, the researchers were largely met with kindness. Many households welcomed them warmly, sometimes offering snacks, sometimes full meals. These gestures often turned routine interviews into deep, lengthy conversations, giving the researchers something just as valuable as data: a close connection with the people they interviewed.

Not every encounter was easy. Some residents were wary of being questioned about their health and medication. A few even responded with suspicion or hostility. Many of the field researchers reported that they were able to learn from these moments and grow in terms of patience, professionalism, and mental fortitude, all of which are crucial elements of a good field researcher.

For many of these researchers, this was their first extensive, real-world experience outside the classroom, and it had a profound impact on them. They mentioned that their communication skills had improved, they had better time management, and an enhanced ability to think on their feet. More than anything, they discovered the true reality of public health work beyond their textbooks. As one researcher put it, “Field research is more than just data collection—it’s about understanding human stories, building relationships, and contributing to meaningful change.”

Our role during the survey

As embedded researchers associated with HERD International, we are stationed at health division of Pokhara Metropolitan City, implement research along with providing technical support to the health division. As part of project implementation, we oversaw the surveys to evaluate healthcare access for patients with diabetes and hypertension. Throughout the surveys, despite the comprehensive training and preparation, we also faced many challenges in supporting the field researchers. Some field researchers struggled to find their way in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Reaching remote areas often required hours on foot, sometimes requiring multiple attempts. We were in frequent contact with the researchers through phone calls to ensure quality data collection, problem-solving, and maintaining ethical research standards throughout the survey process. Field researchers occasionally had doubts about certain questionnaire items, which we needed to clarify immediately to ensure the data collection ran as smoothly as possible. Additionally, ensuring the security of female researchers, especially in isolated areas, remained a top priority.

Coordinating field teams, tracking down participants, and handling real-time questions about the survey tools became a daily routine for us as embedded researchers. We worked as a cohesive unit to make sure the work got done. Through constant coordination, hands-on support, and a shared commitment to quality and ethics, the team gathered crucial data that will inform better health services in Pokhara and beyond.

The experience also left its mark on the researchers themselves. Effective teamwork, supportive supervision, and the researchers’ ability to adapt to challenges in the field not only contributed to our research objectives, but have also contributed to enhance skills of beginners in the research so that they could see the career prospects in health research in Nepal. For our field researchers, what started as a professional assignment became a journey of personal growth, community connection, and an understanding of what it takes to become a good field researcher that no classroom can replicate.

Photo credit: Ms. Ashmita Bhattrai and Ms. Prasikha Koirala