Printers

Ever since I began working for IPA, printers have been my arch enemy.  No matter where I go or what project I’m working on I always end up struggling with a non-compliant printer to get my work done. The problems range from an inability to find replacement ink cartidges (which are considerably harder to find [...]

Getting good data

I have a post up on the IPA website about why getting good data is really hard. Check it out.

More on Kristof and Danger in the developing world

Chris Blattman responds to Kristof’s column on tips on living in developing countries (I wrote about this same Kristof column last week).  I especially liked Blattman’s closing line: “[...] foreign does not equal dangerous.  Dwelling on the potential bandit round the next corner will make you miserable, paranoid, and [...] even a bit prejudiced.”

Now THAT is dangerous research

Speaking of dangerous (or not so dangerous) field research:  one of my best friends, Robert McNabb, a doctoral student in geophysics, had to kill a polar bear that charged him while doing field research on glaciers in Svalbard, Norway. Now that will make your field reports a little bit more lively…

Game Time

After 4 weeks of surveyor training and survey testing/piloting we finally start surveying today for the pilot of one of the projects I’m working on. I’ll be out in 3 semi-urban sitios (neighborhoods) making sure things are going well for most of the day today.

Packing for Field Work

Chris Blattman had a good post about a month ago on what to pack when doing field work in the tropics.  I agree with most of his list (especailly #1-a nice set of clothes, #12-a big flash drive/external hard drive, and #19-first aid kit including anti-malarials and cipro).  Regretably, I didn’t think about #8-a quick [...]

Maps (or the lack there of)

I spend a lot of my time trying to find, buy or make maps.  For example, I’ve spent the last 3 days hiking through various neighborhoods in Cagayan de Oro with pen and paper in hand (and too little sunscreen on my back) trying to figure out if the sketch map I had gotten from [...]