Using digitally mediated methods in sensitive contexts
A threat analysis and critical reflection on data security, privacy, and ethical concerns in the case of Afghanistan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22020107 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Laura Gianna Guntrum (0000-0002-9540-2488, Technische Universität Darmstadt, corresponding author), Benjamin Güldenring (Freie Universität Berlin), Franz Kuntke (0000-0002-7656-5919, Technische Universität Darmstadt), Christian Reuter (0000-0003-1920-038X, Technische Universität Darmstadt) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 95-128 |
| Publication date | 2022-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Zeitschrift für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2192-1741 • E-ISSN: 2524-6976 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s42597-022-00088-2 |
| PMID | 40478060 |
| OpenAlex | W4313909224 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Given the lack of empirical examples of how research can be conducted via digital means in sensitive contexts, this paper provides a threat model using Afghanistan, where the Taliban took power in August 2021, as an example. Both technical and non-technical research-related risks are analyzed, paying attention to research ethics, data security, and privacy. We argue that any threat model and risk analysis is highly context-dependent. Our analysis reveals that in certain research processes, human security does not necessarily coincide with data security and that an ambivalence exists between privacy and usability. In addition to the concrete threat analysis, the paper identifies some general technical solutions (e.g., encryption methods, communication software) for different research steps to foster secure and ethically justifiable research
Computer security · Critical reflection · Internet privacy · Political science · Sociology · Computer Science · Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies · Information and Cyber Security · Privacy, Security, and Data Protection
Internet Research
Do No Harm
Ethical challenges in online research
Ethics in Qualitative Research
Understanding Research in the Digital Age
Safer Field Research in the Social Sciences
A–Z of Digital Research Methods
Internet research ethics and the institutional review board
Censorship and Surveillance in the Digital Age
The Ethics of Security Research
Doing research in conflict contexts
Digital Footprints and Data-Security Risks for Political Scientists
Field Research Methods in the Middle East
Ethics Abroad
Research Ethics 101
It depends on your threat model
The Ethical Challenges of Field Research in Conflict Zones
Field research in conflict environments
Covid-19 and research in conflict-affected contexts
Conducting cross-cultural qualitative interviews with mainland Chinese participants during Covid
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |