Conducting qualitative data collection in Abkhazia, Transnistria, and the Samegrelo region of Georgia: Methodological reflections

This article draws from the methodological chapter of my PhD dissertation, Social Services within and across contested borders: Insights from Transnistria, Abkhazia and Samegrelo and expands on a blog post titled "Doing empirical research in Abkhazia and Transnistria between 2020 and 2024: Challenges and creativity".A first version of this work was presented at the study day titled "Ethnography of vulnerability on former soviet spaces," held on 26 May 2025, at Charles University, Prague.Focusing on the methodological dimensions of qualitative research conducted in politically sensitive and hard-to-access regions, I reflect on the negotiation of access to the research field and researcher positionality.I argue that while such situated knowledge gains ontological depth and contextual richness, it simultaneously challenges claims of universality and objectivity, two long-standing characteristics of scientific inquiry.Lastly, this piece opens a reflection on an ethical challenge: going beyond a do-no-harm approach to generate mutual benefits and hence reduce the extractivist bias of research.