Doing research in conflict contexts: Practical and ethical challenges for researchers when conducting fieldwork.

Abstract

Within social psychology, fieldwork in conflict settings is still not commonplace, despite recent calls for more researchers to engage in fieldwork to understand conflict dynamics. With this article, we wish to emphasize the importance of conducting fieldwork to the future of psychological science, while simultaneously acknowledging the challenges such research entails. We approach the subject as "outsiders," and consider a number of important factors that researchers in that position should be aware of before entering a conflict situation. We have chosen the issues we believe to be the main challenges and those which are most in need of discussion prior to outsiders conducting fieldwork in conflict contexts. These issues are listed as either practical or ethical. Practical concerns include the following: (a) actual and perceived safety of researchers and participants, (b) the complexities of getting research permits, (c) identities of the researcher, (d) social and cultural script, and (e) language barriers between researchers and participants. Ethical concerns necessary to take into account in conflict contexts include but are not limited to (a) getting informed consent, (b) recording interviews, (c) avoiding psychological harm to respondents, (d) psychological demands of research for the research team, and (e) giving back to the respondents. With a need for more conflict research within social psychology, we hope to contribute to an increase in the work done in such contexts as well as the general discussions of such experiences. Public Significance StatementFieldwork in conflict areas is called for within social psychology but not undertaken very often. More knowledge on practical and ethical issues as well as the challenges of conducting fieldwork is important to encourage more scholars to pursue it. Such fieldwork is necessary to complement the psychological literature's focus on lab studies in order to better address issues of conflict mechanisms and intergroup relations in conflict.

Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Sacred Values and Vulnerability to Violent Extremism

“…Oral informed consent was obtained from all participants in the behavioral study and again by all participants in the fMRI study. Oral over written informed consent was chosen both to ensure participants’ complete anonymity and to reduce any potential fears involved with signing a formal document that could be “potentially linked to authorities,” which is a prevalent worry in studies conducted in conflict settings (Moss et al., 2018).…”

Village guards as “in between” in the Turkish-Kurdish conflict: Re-examining identity and position in intergroup conflict

“…It is unclear to what extent these associations influenced which guards we spoke to or how freely those guards spoke. However, considering the nature of fieldwork in conflict (see e.g., Moss, Uluğ, & Acar, 2019), it is still notable that guards were reached at all.…”

Peace Processes and the Integration of Pro-Government Militias: The Case of Village Guards in Turkey

“…Data collection took place sequentially in all six provinces in November and December 2014. Previous work on conducting qualitative research in conflict contexts (Moss, Uluğ, & Acar, 2019;Sriram, King, Mertus, Martin-Ortega, & Herman, 2009) has noted the importance of gaining and maintaining participant trust. In line with this, while most participants were interviewed alone, if participants felt more comfortable being interviewed in a more public place or with family or friends present, the researchers allowed it.…”