Mind the ethics gap: Embedding research ethics into student fieldtrips to conflict and development settings

This paper suggests that conducting research in conflict and disaster affected societies with student groups as part of higher education programmes can offer a valuable opportunity to enhance research ethics training in political sciences and international relations courses. Research visits allow students to critically reflect on their roles in knowledge production processes, their own positionality and to develop key skills such as reflective practice. Although research visits are inherently fraught with ethical dilemmas, engaging students with these dilemmas can be an initial step towards more ethical research practices in academia and beyond. This teaching note explores some of these ethical dilemmas of student research visits and concludes with practical suggestions for organising such trips to avoid common pitfalls. In addition, it outlines pedagogical strategies, particularly daily debriefs, to foreground ethical practice.