ABSTRACT
Trust is usually a crucial element in gaining access to potential research participants in conflict situations, yet that trust is often difficult to secure. In this chapter, I draw from fieldwork conducted in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to examine different dimensions of research in conflict zones in which issues of trust can influence if and how access is gained. My research focuses on Palestinian popular resistance during the second intifada, from 2000 to 2007, in the specific contexts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The mixed methods approach I used (including semi-structured interviews with activists, surveys with youth, and participant observation) necessitated that I negotiate different trust relationships to gain access to the field and the research participants. In the following essay, I first discuss how trust from the dominant state or government can determine how the researcher accesses the field site itself. Second, I examine the challenges of gaining the collective trust of an oppressed group or community to gain credibility in carrying out the research. Third, I address how ‘special’ trust issues can influence access to specific groups within conflict zones, such as militants, activists, prisoners, and children. Finally, I explore practical solutions and specific recommendations for overcoming some of these challenges of trust and access.
