B. Research methods and bibliographies

Discussions of research methods

B1 Chile, L., Dunstan, S. and Dibley, R. (2003). 'Refugee voices: The challenge of researching vulnerable populations'. New Zealand Population Review, 29(1), 57-69.

Research focus/aims: This paper describes the participatory action research approach adopted in working with the Refugee Voices project (which investigated the resettlement experiences of refugees in New Zealand [A37]) as a means not only to attain research objectives but also to empower participating communities through the research process.

Participants: Not applicable.

Key findings/outcomes: The authors outline how a 'participatory action approach' is inclusive, empathetic and empowering, and is closer to the reality of the project communities (in this case, low-income refugees from minority ethnic communities). The approach gives the community and other stakeholders the opportunity to have input into the design of the research project from their own context, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project and share experiences on how to improve effectiveness and allows for participatory future planning. It is based on values of partnership, acknowledgement of power inequalities and respect for personal experience and local knowledge. Other aspects of the methodology are outlined including the sample frame used, the use of research associates from participating communities, the addressing of cultural issues (facilitated by use of the research associates and allowing for a long interview) and the managing of confidentiality and the research process. As a means of accountability to the communities, a video was produced, and a summary of outcomes of the research was translated into the various languages of the participants.

Recommendations: The authors suggest that:

• research with refugee communities must be particularly sensitive to participants' histories of oppression, political persecution and lack of validation
• the research process must demonstrate more than scientifically objective outcomes and must link to the lived experiences of the community to create an enabling environment where trusting relationships are built between the researcher and the community.

Scope: A description and rationale for use of participant action research methodology for research with refugee communities.

Country research undertaken in: New Zealand.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; role of host country; research methods; interview; host country/region: New Zealand.

B2 Guerin, P. and Guerin, B. (2007). 'Research with refugee communities: going around in circles with methodology'. The Australian Community Psychologist, 19(1), 150-162.

Research focus/aims: This paper presents the authors' views on methodological issues and solutions involved with conducting research with refugees. These views have been developed through conducting formal research projects with the New Zealand Somali community on a wide range of topics, and voluntary and advocacy work with the community.

Participants: Draws from the authors' previous research, and the advocacy and voluntary work they have undertaken with Somali refugees.

Key findings/outcomes: The paper sets out three methodological imperatives and provides examples throughout. The headings and key points are as follows:

• Making multiple cuts in research: peeling the layers of the onion - This refers to the concept that finding out how a refugee community and how it functions as a whole comes in layers (and over time).
• The use of participatory methods - Intensive and participatory approaches are necessary as questionnaire and survey methods will not provide quality information even on issues that seem to be straightforward. An example is provided whether the authors had conducted a questionnaire-based survey, the findings of which presented a 'story' that had particular policy implications. Subsequent informal discussion with individuals found a different and more complex picture (with different policy implications).
• Non-compartmentalisation of research topics - Topics about refugee communities cannot be treated as separate or compartmentalised into distinct topics. Research methodologies need to reflect the interconnectedness of topics.

Other methodological issues are discussed under the headings: communities are changing; suspicion towards authorities (including researchers); political and social issues can colour the research; methods are social relationships; the effects of stress and community disruption on methodologies; and distorting effects of writing.

Recommendations:

Under the heading 'Peeling the layers of the onion', the authors suggest:

• getting away from the idea that there is an 'authentic' voice or story that can eventually be captured for individuals or communities - first or 'frontstage' responses may be followed by 'backstage' responses
• getting away from the idea that what is found in 'early cuts' is inauthentic, wrong or inaccurate and therefore should be avoided or thrown out - early material may be useful in 'general' while later 'cuts' show many exceptions to the general rule, and the authors suggest that researchers should refrain from making bold early assertions that can mislead new people in the area or create impressions about people in the community
• recognising that further 'cuts' do not just add more diversity and complexity to a generally true assertion but may involve changing the whole way of conceiving the question and therefore the 'generally true answer'
• recognition that first 'cuts' often make good stories and may mean that researchers do not go on to pursue the details and contexts further.

Scope: A discussion piece based on the authors' experiences in research, voluntary work and advocacy work since 1998.

Country research undertaken in: Australia, but based on experiences with the New Zealand Somali community.

Keywords: integration/social cohesion: indicators or measures; methodological issues of refugee research; source country/region: Somalia; host country/region: New Zealand; refugees.

B3 Higgins, M. and O'Donnell, C. (2007). 'Involving refugees in focus group research'. In A. Williamson and R. de Souza (Eds.), Researching with communities: grounded perspectives on engaging communities in research (pp. 167-179). London: Muddy Creek Publisher.

Research focus/aims: The authors outline the methodological issues they experienced conducting focus group discussions with refugees.

Participants: Refugees and asylum seekers from five different ethnic groups in Scotland.

Key findings/outcomes: The authors initially experienced considerable difficulty in negotiating access to suitable people in the community and in recruiting appropriate people from the refugee community to facilitate focus group sessions. Potential facilitators raised concerns at initial meetings and preparatory sessions. The facilitators helped the researchers rewrite information sheets and urged them to provide nursery facilities. After a pilot, the researchers decided to have two facilitators for groups and to allow adequate time for debriefing immediately after each session. The sessions and subsequent analysis were enhanced by facilitators' in-depth background information on participants' countries of origin, including on economic conditions and healthcare systems. The researchers held a postproject focus group with facilitators to explore their experiences of participation. Some had experienced a negative reaction from their communities.

Recommendations: The authors concluded that community participation was a good way of informing the refugee community. Community members need to be allowed to define the issues addressed. Researchers need to devise a way to capture naturalistic talk that happens around the sharing of food and in other informal settings. Sufficient funding is also needed to disseminate research findings within the community.

Scope: The paper is a detailed analysis of the process and outcomes of involving refugees in focus groups on a sensitive topic (health). It is based on field notes and includes frank discussion of challenges the researchers faced.

Country research undertaken in: Scotland.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; role of host country; health; host country/region: Scotland; research methods: interviews; refugees, including asylum seekers.

B4 Hynes, T. (2003). New issues in refugee research: the issue of 'trust' or 'mistrust' in research with refugees: choices, caveats and considerations for researchers. Working Paper No. 98. UNHCR Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit.

Research focus/aims: Investigates the role of trust in research with refugees in the UK.

Participants: Not applicable.

Key findings/outcomes: The paper makes an argument about why refugees mistrust people and agencies, the potential for mistrust on both sides in the process of reception and settlement and the implications for researchers.

Recommendations: The paper recommends that researchers take time to build trust and use multiple 'gatekeepers' to access the refugee population.

Scope: This is an issues paper intended to inform research design.

Country research undertaken in: Not applicable.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; social exclusion; research methods; discussion paper.

B5 McKenzie, D. and Mistiaen, J. (2007). Surveying migrant households: a comparison of Census-based, snowball, and intercept point surveys. No. 4419. The World Bank Development Research Group.

Research focus/aims: The research focuses on the pros and cons of different survey methodologies used with migrant households.

Participants: Brazilians of Japanese descent (called Nikkei) living in Sao Paulo and Parana.

Key findings/outcomes: Intercept point and snowball surveys are unlikely to provide a representative sample of the whole population of migrants or migrant-sending families. Snowball surveys may be ineffective at creating the long referral chains needed to capture target population. Intercept survey are most likely to be of use for exploratory analysis and where the target population attend community locations. The author concludes that there is no substitute for two-phase stratified sampling to obtain truly representative surveys.

Recommendations: No specific recommendations are included.

Scope: The researchers undertook an experiment in which they used intercept point, snowball sampling and a stratified random sample survey to identify Nikkei households in Sao Paulo and Parana in Brazil and compared the results.

Country research undertaken in: Brazil.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; host country/region: Brazil; research methods: survey; migrants, including refugees.

B6 Powles, J. (2004). New issues in refugee research: life history and personal narrative: theoretical and methodological issues relevant to research and evaluation in refugee contexts. Working Paper No. 106. UNHCR Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit.

Research focus/aims: Use of life history and personal narrative in refugee research. Discusses theoretical and methodological issues from a social anthropology perspective.

Participants: Not applicable.

Key findings/outcomes: The paper raises issues of interpretation and the need to consider the current situation of the informant, informant's experience of trauma, genre, prevailing images or themes. The author also discusses recording and writing life history and personal narrative and ethical considerations.

Recommendations: No specific recommendations included.

Scope: Discussion paper on methodological issues, focusing on the use of life history and personal narrative in refugee research.

Country research undertaken in: UNHCR paper.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; research methods: ethnographic.

Bibliographies

B7 Guerin, B. (2004). Reference materials prepared for the first New Zealand refugee research conference. Auckland: Unitec.

Research focus/aims: To compile a bibliography of international and New Zealand references on research involving refugees.

Participants: Not applicable.

Key findings/outcomes: Collects references under the following headings: New Zealand research, New Zealand PhD and Masters theses involving refugees, general refugee references, methodological issues, refugee health, maternity, refugee mental health, traditional beliefs about mental health, new ideas on refugee mental health, reducing discrimination, dealing with bureaucracies, housing issues for refugees, veils, research on interpreters, language and social networks, education and youth and community and social participation.

Recommendations: The author acknowledges that the collection is incomplete and calls for further information, additions, corrections and comments.

Scope: The references were collated by a researcher at Waikato University as background material for participants at the first refugee research conference held in New Zealand.

Country research undertaken in: New Zealand.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; social capital/networks; community participation; role of host country; social exclusion; health/wellbeing; education/training; language acquisition/ESOL; housing; children/youth; women; research method: review; refugees.

B8 Nam, B. and Ward, R. (2006). Refugee and migrant needs: an annotated bibliography of research and consultations. Wellington: RMS Refugee Resettlement Inc.

Research focus/aims: An annotated bibliography of research relating to refugee and migrant needs.

Participants: Not applicable.

Key findings/outcomes: The bibliography summarises New Zealand research on refugee and migrant needs in the areas of: health; housing; education for children, youth and adults; employment and economic wellbeing; immigration and family reunification; capacity building and community development; family and social support; leisure and recreation; women; children and youth; elderly; policy; accessing information and social harmony. The first section of the document provide references with a sole focus on refugees while the second section provides references that also include migrants in their focus.

Recommendations: Not applicable.

Scope: Covers published and unpublished work from 1989 to 2004.

Country research undertaken in: New Zealand.

Keywords: methodological issues of refugee research; transnationalism; social capital/networks; role of host community; education/training; economic participation; women; children/youth; research methods: review; migrants, including refugees.

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