ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a range of lessons and insights from the experiences of conducting business and organisational research on the impacts of the Christchurch earthquakes and their aftermath. Conducting research in the post-disaster setting involved a complex set of interactions among numerous individuals and groups. It meant dealing with a range of stakeholders, including disaster-affected individuals, leaders of organisations, government agencies and external funders. In many ways social science research in disaster settings possibly has much in common with the conduct of research in conflict settings and public and humanitarian emergencies. The ethical issues involved in post-disaster research are clearly considerable. One significant lesson from the disaster research experience is the extreme importance of interview protocols and learning to tread lightly in the interview process. Stakeholder relationships, collaboration and communication become more important areas of research management than usual given time-related pressures as well as the nature of the wider recovery and rebuild process.
