Field Research

“Fieldwork across rural China sharpens my empirical intuition about how institutions and social norms shape participation, talent allocation, and economic behavior.”

Selected Fieldwork Projects

1. Sustainable Agricultural Development & Digital Village Survey

  • Project Name: Major Issues in Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Agricultural Development
  • Timeline: Mar. – Dec. 2023 (Fieldwork: Mar. 2023; Data Cleaning: Apr. – Dec. 2023)
  • Location: Yunnan Province, China
  • Role: Field Researcher & Data Lead
  • Sample Size: $N = 1,152$ households
  • Key Contributions:
    • Conducted structured household interviews to evaluate rural digital transformation, agricultural livelihoods, and household bargaining.
    • Led the data cleaning and standardization pipelines for the digital and smart village modules, resolving measurement discrepancies across household-level indicators.

2. Groundwater Over-exploitation Management Project

  • Project Name: Comprehensive Governance and Control Strategies for Groundwater Over-exploitation
  • Timeline: Apr. – Sep. 2023 (County Research: Apr. 2023; Pilot: Jun. 2023; Main Fieldwork: Aug. – Sep. 2023)
  • Location: Hebei Province, China
  • Role: Team Leader & Field Coordinator
  • Sample Size: $N = 1,202$ households
  • Key Contributions:
    • County-Level Policy & Data Collection: Served as the county lead across three counties, liaising directly with county officials to systematically gather local groundwater policy archives and administrative data.
    • Pilot Testing & Questionnaire Design: Conducted pilot surveys with village cadres and households in two counties, and engaged in high-level symposia with provincial water and agricultural authorities to refine the formal questionnaire structure.
    • Formal Field Operations & Team Leadership: Served as Team Leader in Gucheng County—overseeing enumerator training and survey execution, coordinating multi-tier field logistics with local officials, and personally conducting in-depth, one-on-one village-level surveys with village leaders.

3. China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS)

  • Project Name: China Rural Revitalization Survey Project (CRRS)
  • Timeline: Jul. 2024
  • Location: Hunan Province, China
  • Role: Field Researcher
  • Sample Size: $N = 360$ households
  • Key Contributions:
    • Conducted face-to-face structured household interviews across rural villages in Hunan, collecting detailed micro-data on local governance, employment, and household livelihoods.
    • Ensured high response rates and data accuracy by adhering strictly to survey protocols and conducting real-time cross-verification during field visits.