A majority of the research projects undertaken by the faculty in the department are based on field work. This gives a unique opportunity to students to associate themselves with the research work, receive training and actual experience of field work. Many students use this opportunity to plan their own research for M. Phil. and/or Ph. D. by engaging in field work. Such field work involves sample surveys, field studies, in-depth interviews, collection of official data from government offices, collecting social profile of candidates, representatives etc.

Major research projects of UGC undertaken by the faculty, as also collaboration with the Lokniti Programme of the CSDS in its National Election Study (NES) and State of the Nation Surveys (SONS) (2005-2009) has facilitated need-based training in the skills such as sampling, framing of questionnaire, translation, and actual field work as also coding and data entry and elementary data analysis. In a typical calendar year, the Department holds at least two such training programmes and trains at least thirty students—both from the department and from other departments and colleges.

Field work undertaken by the Department covers the entire state of Maharashtra and occasionally other states also. Many past students now working as Lecturers in various colleges in the state associate themselves with the research work of the department and help in coordinating the field work.