University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

0009-0006-1255-1688

60781dab-1457-4af9-be16-b15448110e14

Leick, Eva

2026-06-11T08:55:16Z

2026-06-11T08:55:16Z

2023-04-22

This article examines the impact of the death of a research partner in long-term (ethnomusicological) fieldwork, exploring its effects on researchers and potential methodological consequences, transformations, and opportunities that arise regarding the research process. The loss of a research partner is a rarely discussed topic across ethnomusicology and related disciplines. I reflect on the challenges of navigating such a loss in qualitative fieldwork. I thereby acknowledge researchers in their emotional dimensions, dealing with grief and seeking ways to both personally process the loss and sustain the long-term research endeavor. Drawing on my work with the musical legacy of singer Ruža Nikolić-Lakatos (1945–2022), who was the long-term research partner of my superior, Ursula Hemetek, I use this case study to provide firsthand insights into the consequences of a research partner’s passing. I thereby identify four key areas of transformation following such a loss: (1) the reconfiguration of relationships with the deceased’s family and community, (2) the re-evaluation of archival materials, (3) the development of experimental methodologies to represent and honor the research partner’s legacy, and (4) the evolving role of the researcher, who may become a “spokesperson” or recognized expert on the deceased research partner’s work. By integrating personal reflections and engaging with scholarly literature on similar experiences, I challenge the perception of fieldwork as a predictable process. I argue that the loss of a long-term research partner is not merely a disruption but may in fact become an integral part of the research process, posing both emotional and methodological challenges. Rather than viewing a research partner’s death as only an unforeseen, often tragic endpoint, I propose that it can serve as a catalytic event, opening new possibilities for scholarly inquiry and engagement.

Submitted by Christian Keitel (keitel@mdw.ac.at) on 2026-06-11T08:55:16Z workflow start=Step: checkcorrectionstep - action:noUserSelectionAction No. of bitstreams: 1 mm.2026.44.pdf: 351591 bytes, checksum: 5c794e425b20d5ed6d1273b579c12486 (MD5)

Made available in DSpace on 2026-06-11T08:55:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mm.2026.44.pdf: 351591 bytes, checksum: 5c794e425b20d5ed6d1273b579c12486 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2023-04-22

https://doi.org/10.52413/mm.2026.44

https://dspace.mdw.ac.at/handle/123456789/27514

en

2791-4569

Music & Minorities (M&M)

CC-BY-NC-4.0

research partner

death

fieldwork

long-term research partnership

methodology

Changes and Chances in Ethnomusicological Fieldwork

Navigating the Loss of a Research Partner

text::journal::journal article::research article

mdwPress

Leick, Eva

Publication

2026-06-11T08:55:16.174Z

false

yes

Vienna

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University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna