ORAL LITERATURE FIELD RESEARCH.

     In order to acquire concrete experience in oral literature, the starting point is going out to the field, watching, listening and where possible participating in the live performances.

     It is the collecting of data from the field for analysis and study. Data is the specific information that we gather from the resource people in their natural settings, and in line with the objectives of our study.

IMPORTANCE OF ORAL LITERATURE FIELD RESEARCH.

• oral literature field research enables one to experience oral literature in its first hand state. What we read is only 2^nd hand (secondary)

          Thus, when we go to the field, we actually see and feel what we    

     otherwise read in books. Take the example of songs, in the field we  

     see the dance patterns, the mood, the occasion and we also feel

     through participation. Actually oral literature without performance is

     incomplete. Such performances are found in the field.

• oral literature field research enables one to to verify facts and to investigate the justification of differences in performance of same work by different artists.

• For historical reasons— given that oral literature is not static, research at a particular time will offer the researcher an opportunity to study what might have changed over the years. The researcher can also know why certain changes appear in an attempt to establish a likely trend in future. Equally what we record now serve as an archive of reference to tomorrow’s researcher i.e. to record material for posterity.

•  The learner gets an opportunity to learn  and appreciate the culture of the community he will be researching.

• oral literature field research enables one to gain greater insight into the dynamics of the art through participation, hearing, experiencing e.t.c.

• oral literature field research enables one to discover and explore new areas and emerging trends.

• oral literature field research enables one to increase information base and give opportunity for comparative study of our communities.

• It equips the researcher with research skills that may be useful in the study of other disciplines.

• oral literature field research enables one to ascertain existing theories—in the past and even now there are certain theories about our oral literature. Some are assumptions while others are said to have been researched on. We can only know if they are true through research.