Empirical issues: Research in modern post-war
zones
As the risks faced by researchers in modern post-war zones have
increased, researchers face many hurdles, while putting themselves at
the risk of significant harm. In addition to the overall risk management
plan, further risk analysis needs to be carried out on an ongoing basis
to accommodate the changing nature of the fieldwork context that could
(in an instant) result in spikes in risk levels. As such, researchers
are expected to be flexible with their risk management plan during
fieldwork in order to access situations and make swift decisions in
times of volatility.
In situations like those in post-war areas, there are very specific
issues that researchers face. These may include militarization,
intimidation, curtailed freedom of movement, restricted freedom of
expression and negotiating complex power structures that researchers may
find challenging. Further, some topics, such as politics, may not be up
for discussion, due to tyranny or self-censorship by respondents. As a
result, there are many responsibilities placed on researchers to
communicate with supervisors and bring information forward. The
partnership should be sufficiently capable and flexible to provide the
best support and advice available. Supervisors, as the first point of
contact during fieldwork, need to be open to this broader discussion, up
to the point where, if it exceeds their own knowledge base, they are
prepared to say so and consult external experts with specific knowledge.
This will further help the ethics committee to fulfil their inherent
responsibilities of providing overall oversight and due diligence during
the life of the research project.