Publication

This paper discusses a dilemma faced by many researchers conducting fieldwork in areas affected by violent conflict, namely that as they are compelled to seek an ever deeper level of understanding, their apprehension of the perceived risks may hold them back from seeking it. The author then argues that the constraints produced by the dilemma are contingent on a host of variables outside researchers’ control and that while they may be very difficult to overcome, they can be mitigated by the adoption of a flexible and pragmatic research strategy based on local knowledge.