In October 2011 I began CDA research held jointly at the Geography Department, Royal Holloway, University of London and the Science Museum. The project investigates how aerial photography altered map-making in the context of British colonial Africa. My focus is very much on field practice and for this reason the collection of instruments at the Museum, and its institutional expertise in material culture is invaluable.

The benefits and disadvantages of these projects appear to me (as usual) to be two sides of the same coin. They are largely those of being in two places at once. The CDA has been an incredible opportunity to enjoy a very rich and diverse array of experiences, but this is set against the risk of feeling somewhat dissipated and jack-of-all-trades. This underlying concern carries right through the project, from grappling diverse literatures, to dealing with two communities of researchers, into constructing a thesis for a particular audience and on into future prospects.

There is no doubt that the ‘doubling’ of research arenas in a CDA means that I have a much higher degree of freedom in determining the direction and content of the project. This is an extraordinary opportunity and one for which I’m extremely grateful. I hope however that this panel might be able to consider how to better use the experience of past graduates to provide guidance for CDA students on how to navigate these choices soundly.