EPISODE · Feb 4, 2026 · 57 MIN
Research Ethics and the Study of Civil War with Christine Cheng and Christopher Day
from Stories from the Field · host Peter Krause and Ora Szekely
The study of civil war and political violence presents researchers with a wide range of ethical questions to navigate. In this episode, we welcome Christine Cheng (Senior Lecturer in War Studies at Kings College London) and Christopher Day (Professor of Political Science and Director of African Studies at the College of Charleston). They discuss their own fieldwork alongside their recent co-edited special issue, “Research Ethics and the Study of Armed Actors” in the journal Conflict, Security, Development. The special issue includes 11 articles from 21 researchers who explore issues of participant trauma, how IRBs should be used effectively, and the importance of reflexivity in research on armed actors.0:56: Welcome and Introductions2:31: Inspiration for Cheng and Day's Project5:34: Fieldwork on Civil War vs. Other Topics9:33: Ethical Nuances for Fieldwork on Armed Actors15:24: How Will Fieldwork on Armed Actors Evolve?26:46: Three Types of "Silences" in Conflict Research37:10: Trade-offs Between Knowledge Production and Participant Risk43:52: Themes Across Special Issue Contributors48:20: Advice to Scholars Researching Armed ConflictPublications Mentioned in this EpisodeCheng, Christine, and Christopher Day. 2024. “Research Ethics and the Study of Armed Actors: Process vs. Practice.” Conflict, Security & Development 24 (6): 501–23. doi:10.1080/14678802.2024.2436546.Damman, Erin, and Christopher Day. 2024. “Charming the Generals: The Study of Africa’s Security Elites.” Conflict, Security & Development 24 (6): 701–24. doi:10.1080/14678802.2024.2427213.Álvarez, Gloriana Rodriguez, Alejandro Fernández Muñoz, and Hermes Monge Campo. 2024. “Ethical Considerations in Researching Marginalised Voices: A Focus on Women and Gender-Diverse Individuals in Central American Prisons.” Conflict, Security & Development 24 (6): 673–700. doi:10.1080/14678802.2024.2423933.Bajpai, Ravi Dutt, and Swati Parashar. 2024. “Researching Armed Groups with Facilitating Researchers: Asymmetries, Silences, and the Extractive Economies of Research.” Conflict, Security & Development 24 (6): 579–97. doi:10.1080/14678802.2024.2405608.Ibrahimi, Niamatullah, and Romain Malejacq. 2024. “Is It Even Worth It? The Ethics of Researching Armed Groups in ‘the Field.’” Conflict, Security & Development 24 (6): 525–58. doi:10.1080/14678802.2024.2405613.Bateson, Regina, and Christine Cheng. 2024. “Research Ethics and State Power: Access vs. Integrity in the Study of Armed Actors.” Conflict, Security & Development 24 (6): 645–71. doi:10.1080/14678802.2024.2427842.Lynch, Marc. 2020. “Things Change: Protecting Yourself and Your Sources in Uncertain Times” in Stories From the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science, Peter Krause and Ora Szekely, eds. (New York: Columbia University Press).Producers: Callie Walsh, Isabel Rodriguez, Elaine KimFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon
What this episode covers
The study of civil war and political violence presents researchers with a wide range of ethical questions to navigate. In this episode, we welcome Christine Cheng (Senior Lecturer in War Studies at Kings College London) and Christopher Day (Professor of Political Science and Director of African Studies at the College of Charleston). They discuss their own fieldwork alongside their recent co-edited special issue, “Research Ethics and the Study of Armed Actors” in the journal Conflict, Security...
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Research Ethics and the Study of Civil War with Christine Cheng and Christopher Day
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