Understanding Linguistic Fieldwork offers a diverse and practical introduction to research methods used in field linguistics. This book is essential reading for students studying modules relating to linguistic fieldwork or those looking to embark upon field research. "This book aims to be a one-stop introduction to fieldwork as it is currently conceived, covering not only the expected topics, but also a variety of areas that are not standardly found in the fieldwork literature, including sign language, child language acquisition, contact languages, and verbal arts, all areas that figure prominently in language documentation today. It will be an invaluable resource for the novice fieldworker, with much of value for the experienced one as well." Keren Rice, University of Toronto, Canada "The authors take exquisite account of the community contexts in which linguistic documentation and discovery unfold, which they work into a humanistically and scientifically rich, holistic introduction to the subject." Anthony C. Woodbury, The University of Texas at Austin, USA