The Ethical Challenges of Conducting Research in Transitional Contexts

In this case study, I explore the context specific ethical challenges related to researching in transitional settings. I employ the term ‘contextual ethics’ which I define as the additional ethical issues that need to be considered when researching in certain contexts. These include: the need for the researcher to familiarize themselves with the geographical and political context of the research setting; restricting the scope of participants; engaging in appropriate participant sampling and recruitment strategies; evaluating the use of recording equipment and the use of video and photographic data; and employing appropriate anonymization strategies. Although the focus of this case study is post-conflict Northern Ireland, I posit that the ethical insights are pertinent to researchers planning postgraduate research in other post-conflict settings in addition to those undertaking research related to wider transitional social settings and organizational settings