Maria Eriksson Baaz (PI), Mats Utas, Swati Parashar, James Vincent, Anju Toppo, Oscar Dunia

Funded by the Swedish Research Council

This research provides novel and much-needed insights into the dynamics that shape the triangular relationships between researchers, research brokers and research data in insecure zones by attending to the experiences of both brokers and researchers. Better knowledge about the role and situation of local research brokers appears particularly urgent at this point in time as many research institutions in Europe and the US are increasingly regulating and restricting the fieldwork access of their staff due to security concerns, in turn potentially leading to more outsourcing to local research assistants. Such developments form part of a general concern over the increasing risks posed to various humanitarian actors, journalists and NGOs in precarious and violent settings.

While local brokers, such as research assistants, interlocutors and a variety of fixers, play a crucial role in most research contexts, they tend to be particularly important in violent theatres and concerning highly sensitive topics (e.g. corruption, human rights abuses in authoritarian states). They have the in-depth knowledge that enables them to gather data on sensitive issues and are also crucial in allowing the researcher to navigate safely through “dangerous fields”. From dealing with reluctant state agents to fostering sufficient trust to gain access to isolated groups, from managing researcher perceptions to obtaining updated information on the security situation, local brokers are key resources, gatekeepers, and crisis managers. Yet, the role of certain brokers – such as research assistants – goes beyond merely facilitating research or gathering specific data. They often become the eyes and ears of researchers, thus significantly influencing the latters’ intelligibility grids, shaping how they make sense of certain phenomena and what they see in the first place. Hence, local assistants could be considered full-blown ‘co- authors’ of research even when not writing a single word.

This multidisciplinary project cooperated with the Department of Government at Uppsala University and Global Studies at Gothenburg University. It is co-researched with local research brokers and conducted in several countries in Asia and Africa.

The primary outcome of this project is the book Facilitating Researchers in Insecure Zones: Towards a More Equitable Knowledge Production. I am very happy that northern-based researchers are not the editors, but rather Oscar Abedi Dunia (DRC), Anju Oseema Maria Toppo (India), and James B.M. Vincent (Sierra Leone).

Other outcomes include:

Visibilising hidden realities and uncertainties: the ‘post-covid’ move towards decolonized and ethical field research practices in International Journal of Social Research Methodology, pp 1-16, 2023.

Exploring the Backstage: Methodological and Ethical Issues Surrounding the Role of Research Brokers in Insecure Zones in Civil Wars, 2019: 21(2). Pp 157-178.

Research Brokers We Use and Abuse while Researching Civil Wars and Their Aftermaths – Methodological Concerns, in Civil Wars, 2019: 21(2). Pp 271-285.