Authors

Ielizaveta Rekhtman¹;  ¹ University of Glasgow, UK

Discussion

This paper is a self-reflective account about the methodological challenges and fears that I, as a Ukrainian PhD researcher, face when approaching research on the war in Ukraine, subsequent to Russia’s full-scale invasion. It aims to draw attention to the dilemmas which Ukrainian and international researchers face after living through and witnessing the atrocities of the ongoing war: whether and how to conduct research on Ukraine, moving forward. This article is a modest attempt to illustrate how reflexivity on the researcher’s own lived experience of the war opens the space for shaping a methodological approach which is more inductive and human-centric, and (in non-academic terms) is more authentic and honest, given the nature and tragedy of the war. For a researcher, reflexivity in the safe space of a written diary and supportive communication with the PhD supervisors can become a coping mechanism for processing the injustice of the war and fostering the ‘passionate concern’ and ultimate objectives fueling the research. Although accompanied by immense ethical dilemmas and arduous choices, research on Ukraine, and with Ukrainian people, during the time of war can, arguably, amplify the sense of agency both for the research participants and researcher. For methodological decisions, this implies navigating a delicate balance between the therapeutic aspect of the research and the potential harm and re-traumatisation of the research participants.