Paper details
| Paper authors | Veronica Corbellini |
| In panel on | Research safety and security: Addressing the risks of studying disasters and humanitarian action. |
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Abstract
Investigating new forms of power relations and social orders emerging in conflict and war settings is necessary to break the cycle of silence surrounding them (Gordon, 2020). Recall methods – requiring participants to retrieve and narrate events they directly experienced – are increasingly used in research on violent conflict to obtain micro-level information and insights. However, war and conflict are high-magnitude traumatic events that potentially expose individuals to multiple and severe traumas, raising concerns about participants’ and researchers’ safety.
While conversations on ethics have progressed, there is a lack of reflexivity on methodologies in conflict-related contexts (Gordon, 2020). Researchers often have a limited understanding of how trauma and memory interact, and consequently the potential impact of recall methodologies on participants’ emotional and psychological safety. Furthermore, researchers, actively involved in data collection, are often not well-equipped to handle participants’ traumatic narrations and at risk of research-related traumatization.
Using the ‘Dual Representation Theory’ (Brewin, 1996) – a psychological model on cognitive and emotional elaboration of traumatic events – this paper aims to reflect on the implications of using recall methods in conflict contexts. The model provides insights into social sciences research and practice, both to reflect on phenomena observed during interviews, as well as to identify strategies to enhance participants’ and researchers’ safety.
