Description
If research wants to contribute to a more equal world order and the challenges outlined in the Secretary-General agenda, this need to be reflected in research processes themselves. Especially remote and collaborative research poses a range of ethical challenges rarely considered by researchers, and less so by UK ethics boards. Because these approaches will likely expand in future, we must consider their implications. This paper reflects on the ethical challenges of field research for a time when travel is less possible or justifiable, even as peace and conflict researchers strive to remain attentive to local dynamics.
While scholars have reflected on their practical implications, few turn to the ethical dimensions. These include issues of ‘researching the other’ which connect to debates of decolonising research and research methods precisely because they call for increased cooperation between researchers in different locales. The paper contributes to a culture of reflection on our own research and positionality, impacts on knowledge production and, most importantly, the people with whom we engage in the research process.
Key words: research methods, fieldwork, research ethics; decolonising research
