Abstract
There is little academic discourse aimed at tackling the heightened ethical dilemmas that occur when undertaking cross-language and sensitive research with refugees in the context of IR. This chapter addresses this omission by drawing from ethics-based literature across multiple disciplines, as well as my own experiences of interpreter collaboration. My aim is to highlight the complex methodological and ethical challenges that exist when interviewing vulnerable populations in cross-language contexts, and to offer practical and transferable solutions for qualitative researchers.
Specifically, I focus on the preferred credentials of interpreters, their role and visibility during the research process and the wider ethical implications. These include barriers to confidentiality and anonymity, potential loss of meaning, translation bias and crucially, any physical, psychological and/or emotional impact that may occur when discussing sensitive topics, including the risk of traumatization. I conclude by arguing that despite the plentiful challenges that exist, cross-language researchers can conduct sensitive research ethically and in a manner that reflects the narratives of interviewees.
Specifically, I focus on the preferred credentials of interpreters, their role and visibility during the research process and the wider ethical implications. These include barriers to confidentiality and anonymity, potential loss of meaning, translation bias and crucially, any physical, psychological and/or emotional impact that may occur when discussing sensitive topics, including the risk of traumatization. I conclude by arguing that despite the plentiful challenges that exist, cross-language researchers can conduct sensitive research ethically and in a manner that reflects the narratives of interviewees.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Routledge Handbook to Rethinking Ethics in International Relations |
Editors | Birgit Schippers |
Publisher | Routledge |
Chapter | 12 |
Pages | 160-176 |
Number of pages | 16 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781315613529 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781472479693 |
Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- sensitive research
- cross-language research
- Ethics, Research
- Refugees
- Feminist theory
- interviews
- Qualitative analysis
- Qualitative Interviewing
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Dive into the research topics of 'Cross-language, sensitive research with refugees'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Student theses
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Women, Daesh and discourse: A critical analysis
McAuley, M. (Author), Johnson, H. (Supervisor) & Schippers, D. B. (Supervisor), Jul 2022Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy
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