Introduction: Context and search methodology
In April 2012, a research cluster on methodology and the production of knowledge in forced migration contexts was established by Christina Clark-Kazak (York University) and Galya Ruffer (Northwestern University), through the Refugee Research Network (RRN; http://www.refugeeresearch.net/). The cluster aims to address particular methodological, ethical and epistemological challenges to researchers who are engaged in research in forced migration contexts. In this way, we limited our search to literature that specifically addressed methodology and forced migration. In order to retain focus, we did not include related, but distinct literature on methodology in conflict or development contexts more generally.
As a starting point, we compiled the existing academic, published literature in English that addressed specific methodological, ethical and epistemological challenges that are unique to forced migration research. We began by examining the literature listed in syllabi for courses on research methodology in forced migration and related contexts and proceeded to a library search with keywords. Due to biases in the production of knowledge, this search yielded few publications by authors from the global south/majority world and those working from a postcolonial theoretical perspective. To address this issue, we asked the cluster members for assistance in identifying additional literature that might not be accessible via a conventional library search. Literature posted on the websites of RRN institutional partners in the Global South (i.e. Calcutta Research Group, African Centre for Migration and Society, Javeriana University, Bogotá and The Division of Population Research in the Institute of Social Studies and Research in Tehran) was also examined as long as they were written in English. Further, we expanded our search to include grey literature in York University Library database as well as WorldCat database.
The resulting annotated bibliography below is intended to provide a guide to existing, recent social science, English-language publications. This annotated bibliography is not meant to provide in-depth analysis of each article but to act as an introduction to existing literature, thus it is mostly taken from the abstracts when they are available. When the authors did not include the abstracts, a brief summary of the publication is provided.