Fieldwork in Challenging Contexts and Times of Heightened Global Tension: QMMR D
Half Day Short Course
9:00am – 1:00pm
How can researchers conduct rigorous, ethical fieldwork in politically sensitive or logistically complex settings, especially in a time of rising global tension and authoritarian resurgence? This half-day short course equips participants with the tools, strategies, and ethical frameworks necessary for conducting field research in regions such as China, East Asia, India, Latin America, the Middle East, and Russia. Co-sponsored by the APSA Comparative Politics Section, the course is designed for scholars at all stages who conduct or are planning to conduct fieldwork in contexts where access is restricted and risks are heightened.
Participants will explore challenges including navigating censorship and surveillance, securing archival and qualitative data, and ensuring the safety and well-being of both researchers and participants. The course will also address broader methodological concerns, such as triangulating data, conducting digital fieldwork, and confronting issues of positionality and reflexivity. Through a mix of topical presentations and interactive discussions, participants will engage directly with experienced field researchers who have developed innovative strategies for overcoming obstacles in the field.
By the end of the session, attendees will leave with practical knowledge and new insights for designing, adapting, and conducting research in difficult environments without compromising ethical standards or scholarly rigor.
Instructor Bios:
Nermin Allam is Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University–Newark and a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her work focuses on gender politics and social movements in the Middle East and North Africa.
Abby Córdova is Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School and directs the E-VAW Lab at the Kellogg Institute. Her work centers on violence, organized crime, and gender in Latin America.
Roselyn Hsueh is Professor of Political Science at Temple University and author of Micro-institutional Foundations of Capitalism. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in China, India, and Russia and is a Fulbright Global Scholar.