Twenty years ago, foreign researchers once again began to venture into China for fieldwork. Today, "the field" itself has become mobile, ephemeral, and virtual, as more research focuses on human mobility and communication. The book takes a look at some of the trends and problems of fieldwork in and about China today, touching on issues that range from Internet research to sexual harassment in the field, foreign investors in China, Chinese tourists abroad as research subjects, and the role of social and poverty assessment in development.

Bettina Gransow teaches at the Free University Berlin, Germany, and Hohai University, Nanjing, China. Pl Nyri is a lecturer in anthropology and director of the Applied Anthropology Programme at Macquarie University, Sydney. Shiaw-Chian Fong is a professor in the Department of Journalism, National Chengchi University, Taipei.