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Theorizing Risk and Research: Methodological Constraints and Their Consequences

Swenson, G; Roll, K; (2020) Theorizing Risk and Research: Methodological Constraints and Their Consequences. PS: Political Science & Politics , 53 (2) pp. 286-291. 10.1017/s104909651900177x. Green open access

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Abstract

Conflict, postconflict settings, and other risky research sites are important with wide-ranging policy implications. Microlevel, field-based research lends critical insights to how conflicts work and the mechanisms behind macrolevel correlations that underpin quantitative political science. This article identifies how the risks associated with conflict and postconflict contexts influence researchers’ choices by theorizing the existence of distinct adaptive strategies. Specifically, researchers facing elevated risk generally manage it through three main strategies: outsourcing risk, avoiding risk, and internalizing risk. We argue that these strategies systematically shape and circumscribe outputs. We conclude by discussing how the relationship between risky fieldwork and what we know about conflict is poorly acknowledged. Thinking about how we manage risk should play a larger role in both our preparation for and interpretation of research, particularly in conflict and postconflict contexts.

Type: Article
Title: Theorizing Risk and Research: Methodological Constraints and Their Consequences
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1017/s104909651900177x
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1017/s104909651900177x
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Inst for Innovation and Public Purpose
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10088336
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