Stories from the Field

Daniel Neep, who just published Syria: A Modern History, joins Ora Szekely, who published Syria Divided: Patterns of Violence in a Complex Civil War, for a conversation focusing on research on a specific conflict: the war in Syria. Reflecting on their own experiences, Daniel and Ora dig into the ethical and methodological challenges of researching civil war from afar, as well as some common myths and misunderstandings related to research on the Syrian civil war, their own reactions to the unexpected fall of the Assad regime, and their thoughts on the immense challenges of Syria’s postwar reconstruction. They conclude by offering some advice on research for emerging scholars in challenging environments.2:47: What Drew Daniel and Ora to Syria?5:21: How Has Time in Syria and with Syrians Influenced Your Research?7:58: Inspiration for Research Questions12:05: Discussing Dan and Ora's Books21:11: Challenges of Writing a Comprehensive History27:37: Unpacking Common Myths and Misunderstandings about Syria35:30: The Challenges of Research from a Distance45:10: What Was it Like to See the Civil War End?52:00: Advice for Emerging ScholarsPublications Mentioned in This EpisodeDaniel Neep. Syria: A Modern History. Basic Books, 2026, https://www.amazon.com/Syria-Modern-History-Daniel-Neep/dp/1541608127Ora Szekely. Syria Divided: Patterns of Violence in a Complex Civil War (Columbia Studies in Middle East Politics). Columbia University Press, 2023, https://cup.columbia.edu/book/syria-divided/9780231555982/Producers: Dominic Calareso, Jasmine Han, and Taylor PerkinsFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

After your field research is done, there is always that final, daunting step: publishing. We are joined by Caelyn Cobb, Senior Editor in global history and global politics for Columbia University Press, and Jacqueline Hazelton, Executive Editor of the journal International Security, to gain an editor’s perspective on what they look for in conflict research and how aspiring scholars can navigate the publishing process.Cobb and Hazelton discuss how ethical considerations and methodological choices shape projects from the proposal stage all the way through peer review. They reflect on how editors assess whether author's claims align with their fieldwork, and how research methods are justified in a civil war subfield that often builds on qualitative evidence. Throughout their conversation, Cobb and Hazelton also examine how recent changes in the field have influenced what editors look for and the advice they offer to emerging scholars looking to publish.4:21: Discussing Research Methods and Ethics with Authors7:25: Talking About Your Fieldwork with Editors15:22: Lessons Learned as Both an Editor and Researcher18:24: Recent Changes in the Field of Civil War Studies24:53: Book Press and Journal Policies on Fieldwork Ethics28:28: Red Flags in Manuscripts and Proposals32:06: How Editors View IRBs37:37: How Editors Talk to Each Other about Methods and Ethics41:03: Editors' Advice for Publishing Your ResearchPublications Mentioned in this EpisodeHazelton, Jacqueline L. Bullets Not Ballots: Success in Counterinsurgency Warfare. Cornell University Press, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctv16zjztj Rizkallah, Amanda. "Foreign Intervention and Internal Displacement: Urban Politics in Postwar Beirut." International Security 2024; 48 (3): 86–128. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00478Krause, Peter, Szekely, Ora, et al. 2021. "COVID-19 and Fieldwork: Challenges and Solutions." PS - Political Science and Politics, 54 (2): 264-269. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096520001754Ide, Tobias. "Rise or Recede? How Climate Disasters Affect Armed Conflict Intensity." International Security 2023; 47 (4): 50–78. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00459Daly, Sarah Z., & Krause, Peter. (2024). Whose side are you on? Balancing impartiality and proximity in the study of civil wars. Conflict, Security & Development, 24 (6): 621–644. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2024.2435057 Producers: Dominic Calareso and Jasmine HanFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

When conducting research and fieldwork on civil war, it is not only challenging to remain impartial or get physically and emotionally close to conflict participants, but it is especially difficult to do both, given that more of one often requires—or leads to—less of the other. How do researchers navigate the challenges of partiality and proximity in the field? How do they deal with their values and emotions in the context of their research? In this episode, Peter takes a break from his regularly scheduled hosting duties to join us as a guest alongside Sarah Zukerman Daly, Associate Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, as they discuss their coauthored article Whose Side Are You On?Sarah and Peter discuss how their field research on conflict in Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa motivated them to distill the complex balance of what they call "The Impartiality-Proximity Dilemma." The conversation also explores the various combinations of partiality, proximity, and neutrality that are adopted while on the ground, and what a proximate, impartial research process can look like from beginning to end. We also explore the biases that researchers may hold, consciously or not, and how they influence advocacy, scholarly integrity, and the research process. 2:17: Origins of the Article: Whose Side are you On?6:15: Explaining the Impartiality-Proximity Dilemma9:26: Navigating the Impartiality-Proximity Dilemma During Fieldwork13:59: Why Civil War Research Presents Unique Challenges25:49: How Researcher Background and Identity Shape the Impartiality-Proximity Dilemma37:13: How the Impartiality-Proximity Dilemma Shapes Research Design and Methods44:47: A Call for Methodological Pluralism50:42: Advice for New Graduate StudentsPublications Mentioned in This EpisodeDaly, Sarah Z., & Krause, Peter. (2024). Whose side are you on? Balancing impartiality and proximity in the study of civil wars. Conflict, Security & Development, 24(6), 621–644. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2024.2435057 Daly, Sarah Z., Paler, Laura, & Samii, Cyrus (2020). Wartime ties and the social logic of crime. Journal of Peace Research, 57(4), 536-550. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343319897098 Producers: Hannah Bingham, Dominic Calareso, Jasmine Han, Anna O’DonnellFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

Even though you might think you know the place that you’re researching, things can still surprise you when you’re new to the field. In this episode, we welcome Ana Paula Pellegrino and Ulaş Erdoğdu. Pellegrino is the Gerhard Casper Postdoctoral Fellow in the Rule of Law at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University. She will be starting as an Assistant Professor at the School of Government at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in July 2026. Erdoğdu is a PhD candidate in political science at Northwestern University. In this episode, Ulaş and Ana Paula share their research experiences as current and recently-graduated doctoral students. We talk about methods training within the broader context of researching armed groups, the complexities of doing research as a native, and compare experiences in the field to lessons learned in the classroom. 3:02: Background on Pellegrino's Research6:58: Background on Erdoğdu’s Research14:30: The Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR) Experience21:30: Fieldwork Training in Graduate Programs30:25: Aspects of Field Research that Go Beyond Classroom Training41:02: Safety Precautions in the Field44:53: What is the Future of Fieldwork?56:17: Advice for Prospective PhD StudentsPublications Mentioned in This EpisodeMampilly, Zachariah Cherian. “The Field Is Everywhere” in Stories From the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science. New York, New York: Columbia University Press, 2020. https://cup.columbia.edu/book/stories-from-the-field/9780231193016/Jumet, Kira D., and Merouan Mekouar, eds. Doing Research as a Native: A Guide for Fieldwork in Illiberal and Repressive States. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2025. https://academic.oup.com/book/59605Erdoğdu, Ulaş. “Leadership Decapitation in Civil War: Leadership Arrest and the Negotiations between the State and the Insurgents.” Review of International Studies, 2025, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026021052510106X.Bullock, Jessie, and Ana Paula Pellegrino. “How do Covid-19 stay-at-home restrictions affect crime? Evidence from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.” EconomiA, vol. 22, (December 2021): 147-163. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1517758021000175Producers: Nathaniel La Blanc, Katherine Tan, Claire Geratz, Taylor PerkinsFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

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

Kira Jumet and Merouan Mekouar join the podcast to share their insights on what it means to be a “native scholar” and all the complications and benefits that can bring to the process of field research. We talk about the benefits of knowing local languages, the question of citizenship (and other state-related challenges) as well as the very real struggles researchers may face to separate their personal identities and emotions from their academic research. As these challenges come into focus, the discussion turns to a central question many scholars must confront: Is it worth it?0:11 Introduction1:44 Kira and Merouan's Origin Story3:38 What is a Native Scholar?7:06 Impact of Being a Native Scholar11:25 Findings within Conflict-Affected Environments23:46 Professional and Personal Risks29:28 Advice for Future Native Reseachers37:40 The Future of the Academic Field44:34 Advice for ListenersPublications Mentioned in this EpisodeJumet, Kira D., and Merouan Mekouar, eds. Doing Research as a Native: A Guide for Fieldwork in Illiberal and Repressive States. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2025. https://academic.oup.com/book/59605 Souleimanov, Emil Aslan, Siroky, David S., & Krause, Peter (2022). Kin Killing: Why Governments Target Family Members in Insurgency, and When It Works. Security Studies, 31(2), 183–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2022.2079997  Ibrahimi, Niamatullah & Malejacq, Romain. (2024). Is it even worth it? The ethics of researching armed groups in ‘the field.’ Conflict, Security & Development, 24(6), 525–558. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2024.2405613Producers: Riley Copwood, Kendall Liesching, Helia Attar, Paul Kim, Anna O’DonnellFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

The Stories from the Field Podcast is back for a second season! In this introductory episode of Season 2, Ora and Peter reunite to preview the new season line-up and look back on the origins of the podcast and the co-edited book that it’s based on. Season 2 focuses on research on civil war across the globe, bringing together scholars from a wide range of perspectives. This season’s conversations will cover everything from doing research in one’s home country, to the special importance of research ethics in scholarship on armed conflict, to the significance— and challenges—of impartiality when conducting field research. Enjoy, and welcome back to Stories from the Field !0:14 Welcome and Intro1:21 Origins of the Podcast2:24 First Season Highlights4:12 Who is This Podcast For?5:13 Using this Podcast as a Teaching Tool6:43 This Season's Theme: Research on Civil War9:00 Overview of Season 29:52 Season 2 Episode Line-upPublications Mentioned in this EpisodeKrause, Peter, and Ora Szekely, eds. Stories from the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science. Columbia University Press, 2020.Krause, Peter. “The Strategies of Counter-Secession: How States Prevent Independence.” Nations and Nationalism 28, no. 3 (2022): 788–805. https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.12822.Souleimanov, Emil Aslan, David S. Siroky, and Peter Krause. “Kin Killing: Why Governments Target Family Members in Insurgency, and When It Works.” Security Studies 31, no. 2 (2022): 183–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2022.2079997.Daly, Sarah Zukerman, and Peter Krause. “Whose Side Are You on? Balancing Impartiality and Proximity in the Study of Civil Wars.” Conflict, Security & Development 24, no. 6 (2024): 621–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2024.2435057.Szekely, Ora. Syria Divided: Patterns of Violence in a Complex Civil War. Columbia University Press, 2023.Jumet, Kira D., and Merouan Mekouar, eds. Doing Research as a Native: A Guide for Fieldwork in Illiberal and Repressive States. Oxford University Press, 2025.Cheng, Christine, and Christopher Day. “Research Ethics and the Study of Armed Actors: Process vs. Practice.” Conflict, Security & Development 24, no. 6 (2024): 501–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2024.2436546.Producers: Nathaniel La Blanc, Katherine Tan, Claire GeratzFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

In this special final episode, we weave together numerous lessons from throughout the book and podcast, from the value of unstructured time in the field to the surprising parallels between hosting a podcast and doing fieldwork. Using some of our favorite interview clips and book readings, we reflect on the excellent advice our contributors shared and talk about why we love field research.  We also turn the mic on our producers!  If you only listen to one episode from this podcast, this is it.Producer: Harper BarbareeEditors: Zeyad Anwar, Abigail Hamilton, Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila ZarellaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

Fotini Christia, Aliyu Zakayo, and Aidan Milliff offer their perspectives as a full professor, a medical doctor and researcher, and an advanced graduate student, respectively, on the ethical and logistical challenges posed by COVID-19 for field research. Each guest draws on their own experiences to offer insights and suggestions for how to adjust your research approach in the face of the pandemic’s disruptions.Producer: Harper BarbareeEditors: Zeyad Anwar, Abigail Hamilton, Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila ZarellaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

We trace the process of learning field research by talking to a group of excellent undergraduate students (Leah Hickert, Jack MacDonald, and Renata Martinez) and advanced graduate students (Vierelina Fernandez, Ayse Lokmanoglu) about how they first encountered and began to conduct field research in their own communities and all over the world. These student-led discussions provide vibrant reminders to us all about how we learn and evolve as researchers and global citizens.Producer: Harper BarbareeEditors: Zeyad Anwar, Abigail Hamilton, Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila ZarellaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

We welcome Jesse Driscoll from UCSD, Milli Lake from the London School of Economics, and Sarah Parkinson from Johns Hopkins University to talk about teaching field research. How can we teach others how to think about, prepare for, and carry out ethical, valuable field research? All of our guests have taught field research methods to undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, Milli and Sarah run a growing consortium on conducting research in fragile and violence-affected environments, and Jesse just published an educational book on doing global fieldwork. If you want to start teaching about field research (or improve your current approach), this is the episode for you!Producer: Harper BarbareeEditors:  Zeyad Anwar, Abigail Hamilton, Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila Zarella Find Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

We welcome Ravi Perry from Howard University and Sarah Zukerman Daly from Columbia University to talk about the crucial but oft-overlooked issues of health and safety in the field—whether in one's home community or in a foreign location. Ravi and Sarah share some of the personal challenges they've faced in the course of their fascinating research on the balancing act of racial politics by Black mayors in majority white districts in the U.S., and the variation in the demilitarization of violent organizations following peace negotiations in Colombia, respectively.  Throughout the episode, we discuss a variety of steps that researchers should take to protect themselves and those around them.Producers: Harper Barbaree, John Gehman, Gabriel WallenEditors: Sam Biasi, Shavonne Farell, Alyssa Iferenta, Madison SarkaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

We talk to Enze Han from the University of Hong Kong and Robert Ross from Boston College about the significant potential and challenges of doing research in China. Our guests reflect on everything from their experiences building academic relationships with colleagues at Chinese universities to how local perceptions of researchers' own identities can shape the research process.   Producers: Harper Barbaree, John Gehman, Alyssa IferentaEditors: Sam Biasi, Madison Sarka, Shavonne FarrellFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

We welcome Matthew Cancian from MIT, Kristin Fabbe from Harvard Business School, and Kristin Michelitch from Vanderbilt University to talk about conducting field surveys and experiments. We discuss what goes into designing an experiment or survey, developing local relationships, and navigating the ethical and logistical challenges of conducting complex research projects with multi-member research teams.Producers: Harper Barbaree, John Gehman, Alyssa Iferenta Editors: Zeyad Anwar, Sam Biasi, Shavonne Farrell, Abigail Hamilton, Garrett Madden, Madison Sarka Find Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

We welcome Zoe Marks from Harvard Kennedy School and Will Reno from Northwestern University to talk about doing research in insecure or conflict-affected situations, and learning how to keep our research participants, our teams, and ourselves safe in difficult environments.Producers: Harper Barbaree, John GehmanEditors: Hannah Jones, Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila ZarrellaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

Once you're in "the field," how can you most effectively gain knowledge and collect information? How do you build trust and connections with local leaders? How to show respect and become part of a new community? How to access and decipher classified archival documents? We welcome John McCauley from The University of Maryland, Rich Nielsen from MIT, and Lindsey O'Rourke from Boston College to discuss the creative strategies they used to navigate each of these research challenges in Central and West Africa, the Middle East, and the United States.Producers: Harper Barbaree, John GehmanEditor: John GehmanFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

How do our identities and lives outside of academia shape our fieldwork? And what does that look like in a region like the Middle East? We talk to Carla Abdo-Katsipis from Wesleyan University, Nadya Hajj from Wellesley College, and Ian Lustick from the University of Pennsylvania about doing research across the Middle East, and reflect on how our personal backgrounds shape the experience of doing field research. Producers: Harper Barbaree, John Gehman, Alyssa IferentaEditors: Sam Biasi, Shavonne Farrell, Madison SarkaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

Peter and Ora welcome Erica Chenoweth from Harvard Kennedy School and Zachariah Mampilly from the Marxe School of International Affairs at Baruch College to discuss research ethics, including whether political scientists should have an individual and/or shared code of ethics, tough decisions about accepting funding from government and non-government institutions, and how to ethically engage with policymakers, the general public, and the individuals you are studying during field research.Producers: Harper Barbaree, John GehmanEditors: Hannah Jones, Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila ZarrellaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

Ora and Peter welcome Christina Greer from Fordham University, Wendy Pearlman from Northwestern University, and Paul Staniland from the University of Chicago to discuss local knowledge, perhaps the most important aspect of field research. Local knowledge is a collection of facts, beliefs, and perceptions used by people in a specific region to interpret the world around them. Ora and Peter discuss their definitions of local knowledge and how it has applied to their own work, followed by an interview with Christina Greer on her survey research on Black and Caribbean identities in urban communities, an interview with Wendy Pearlman about non-instrumental "field being", and an interview with Paul Staniland about political geography and "fieldwork on foot." The podcast concludes with a collective discussion among all guests on insights and advice for developing local knowledge.Producers: Harper Barbaree, John Gehman, Hannah Jones Editors: Garrett Madden, Gabriel Wallen, Lila ZarrellaFind Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon

In this introductory episode, Peter and Ora discuss the evolving definition of "field research," which is conventionally defined as research conducted outside of one’s institution to observe, interact with, and interview people, work in the archives, and otherwise learn about a place and its politics and society. Regardless of where and how it is conducted, field research poses numerous logistical and ethical challenges, which this podcast is designed to help you navigate.We begin by talking about the origin story and plan for our book Stories from the Field , then discuss what the book and podcast are (and what they are not), and conclude by previewing the podcast episodes to come. Enjoy, and welcome to the podcast!Producers: Harper Barbaree, John Gehman, Alyssa IferentaEditors: Garrett Madden, Madison Sarka, Sam Biasi, Shavonne Farrell Find Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon