‘The old adage that ‘if it’s not written down, it didn’t happen’ has held little relevance for my research, when keeping detailed notes of my interviews could often have jeopardised the lives of myself and my informants. Field notes, however, codified or locked in electronic documentation, contain sensitive information that could be used against the anthropologist or informants’.
It has been seen that researchers may find themselves unable to implement codes of ethics to the letter in post-war zones due to associated risks. This should not be interpreted as unethical research. The codes of ethics are situational and there is a need for a localised, contextual and situational approach to ethics when it comes to managing risks in post-war zones, in order to assure researcher safety, which takes precedence. The emotional risks have received little attention in the research process when compared with physical risks, although they form an element of the research process. There is also the possibility of emotional harm emerging after a dormant period and this may occur after the period of fieldwork. This needs to be recognised at an early stage of risk management planning. Further, the institutional apparatus should not assign sole responsibility to individual researchers and supervisory teams to manage risks on their own and should take an active role in managing risks in post-war zones. For this purpose, safety training and awareness-raising for researchers as well as personnel at an institutional level, such as supervisors, are encouraged.
This paper has discussed only two dimensions of risk: physical risks and emotional risks that are faced by researchers in post-war zones, however, there is a need to recognise the presence of other dimensions. Gender dynamics have not been discussed here separately, but the nature of risks could vary by gender. This needs to be accounted for when analysing risks and needs to be addressed in-depth to develop a comprehensive risk management plan. Furthermore, the post-fieldwork stage risk management should be recognised, to assure the long-term wellbeing of researchers. There are many stakeholders involved in a typical research project such as funders and suppliers, as well as respondents who face varied risks to a different degree, which the authors of this article acknowledge.