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Failure is a normal and critical part of the scientific process; however, the admittance of failure remains largely stigmatized within the sciences. In this paper, we argue that sharing stories of failure should be normalized, not only for the advancement of knowledge and improvement of research outcomes, but also for the health and well-being of the scientific community. We feel that this is particularly important for early career researchers, as it will help to set more realistic expectations of a career in science and to help reframe failure as a positive force for good. To do so, we draw upon our recent experiences of failure in participatory marine social science fieldwork. We share our personal perspectives of, among other things, how we felt when confronted with failure in the field, and more importantly, the strategies we used to confront, deal with, and overcome those failures. By doing so, we generate a list of practical steps and considerations that marine social science researchers can follow to help them navigate their own failures in the field, should they occur.

Recent years have seen increasing calls to better document and understand the human dimensions of the marine and coastal environment and to incorporate this knowledge into decision-making. Human dimensions of the marine and coastal environment are best investigated through the application of marine social science. Individuals within marine social science are not solely “pure” social scientists, but rather are a diverse and interdisciplinary community, including many who have moved from the natural sciences to pursue a career in marine social science. This is particularly the case for early career researchers, with many moving from natural to social science earlier in their academic careers than their predecessors, and thus developing stronger interdisciplinary skills than previous generations of social scientists. In this perspective, we draw on our experiences, highlighting our main motivations for moving from natural to social science, the barriers we have faced and our top tips for early career researchers faced with similar opportunities and challenges. The ten tips include: “Work with like-minded researchers,” “Learn from and be inspired by academic heroes,” “Learn about and engage with research philosophy, positionality and reflexivity,” “Value your own skillset and perspective,” and “Be patient and kind to yourself.”