Social Science Research in a Humanitarian Emergency Context

This case study about research in an emergency setting depicts how unexpected findings created conflicts of conscience for non-governmental organization (NGO) workers and exposed research participants and their community to retribution and compromised the local social structure. The community felt betrayed when unexpected findings from research about health seeking behaviours revealing illegal female genital mutilation were shared publicly and contributed to stigmatizing their culture. In addition, the NGO involved performed a dual role – that of assistance provider as well as researcher – which endangered the neutrality of the data collection and, in the end, the acceptability of the NGO as assistance provider.