Citation

Roll K, Swenson G. Disasters 2019; 43(2): 240-260.

Affiliation

Lecturer, Department of International Politics, City, University of London, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12321

PMID

30537279

Abstract

Despite sustained scholarly interest in post-conflict states, there has not been a thorough review and analysis of associated methodology and the challenges of conducting research in these contexts. Addressing this gap, this paper directs attention to the particular effects of these settings on access and data quality and their ramifications for the resulting scholarship. It assesses the intrinsic challenges of performing fieldwork in these environments, drawing on both relevant social science literature and the authors' experiences of carrying out research in Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. The study demonstrates that the post-conflict environment moulds research design and, consequently, influences how questions are answered as well as the questions asked. Moreover, it highlights ways to mitigate these issues. This work is of relevance to scholars planning to engage in field research and to researchers reflecting upon their work, as well as to policymakers who are considering undertaking programmes or commissioning research in post-conflict areas.

© 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

Language: en

Keywords

Afghanistan; Timor-Leste; data quality; fieldwork; post conflict; qualitative methods; research