@article {9314,
	title = {Field Research in Conflict Environments: Methodological Challenges and Snowball Sampling},
	volume = {22},
	year = {2013},
	abstract = {<p><br>Conducting research in conflict environments is generally an immense challenge, given the many sensitivities and the atmosphere of suspicion that usually characterizes the research population. Nonetheless, the methodological aspects of fieldwork in environments of conflict have not yet been systematically researched. Using a survey and examination of the primary methodological problems we suggest employing snowball sampling in order to deal with this challenge. The efficacy of this method has been recognized as significant in the literature in a variety of cases, primarily those focused on {\textquotedblleft}marginal{\textquotedblright} populations, which tend to be hidden and hard to access for research purposes. However, we assert that in a conflict environment the entire population becomes, to an extent, a {\textquotedblleft}marginal society,{\textquotedblright} going underground and therefore becoming difficult for the external researcher to access. The method{\textquoteright}s efficiency under these conditions makes it possible to conduct research under the constraints of a conflict environment, minimizing the prospects of researchers admitting defeat before even embarking on a study. We share our experiences of fieldwork in varied conflict environments and provide a number of insights and recommendations for employing snowball sampling.</p>},
	author = {Tamar Arieli and Nissim Cohen}
}
