Fieldwork is a technologyvdriven endeavor. The kinds of questions one asks of field, 1rathered material are based on the kinds of information that can be gathered in or brought home from the field. Fieldworkers approaching ' complex events will define their options differently if they have access to vari’ ous kinds of image and sound recorders and know how to use them effectively and efficiently. Fieldworkeis studying material culture have different questions and therefore may incorporate different technologies than fieldworkers inter’ ested in narrative tradition or matters of custom or belief. Fieldworkers trying to document the folklife of a community may need a wider range of technical expertise than fieldworkers focusing on genres or items.