CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.0 Epistemology
Any study is primarily underpinned by its research methodology. Accordingly, when undertaking any programme of research, the researcher must first have regard to the research methodology to be employed and whether it is in keeping with the form and type of data identified as relevant to the research study. The researcher from the outset must also be cognisant of the relative strengths and possible drawbacks associated with the methodology under review. This chapter, therefore sets outs the methodology to be adopted, whether qualitative or quantitative or an amalgam of both, establishes the validity of the research per se and considers the broader implications of the approach, as well as its respective strengths and weaknesses.
With reverence to this study, the research question is as follows:
What are the obstacles to international recognition for the Republic of Somaliland?
The researcher decided to employ a qualitative approach via interviews and questionnaires, which were conducted in Somaliland over a period of several months. Interviewees included government officials, ministers and senior civil servants, with interviews transcribed and qualitatively assessed. Qualitative research can be regarded as more inclusive and capable of furnishing a range of insights, which reflect and give an account of all aspects of the human condition. In undertaking this study, account had to be taken of the fact that the number of interview subjects would be small and that the time and resources available would be limited. Little if any quantitative data will be collected and the views of the study participants will reflect the subjective lived nature of the data (Bryman, 2016: .24). A qualitative study in this context is appropriate, as it will capture the lived experiences of the participants, their views and insights with all the subtle wealth of detail that flows from such accounts. In addition, a qualitative approach will allow the author to provide a more inclusive account, one capable of furnishing a range of insights, which reflect and give an account of all aspects of the specifics of the condition. This research will adopt a constructivist or interpretivist position. Hence, Interpretivism requires that the social scientist grasp the subjective meaning of social action. (Bryman, 2016: .692).
Both the qualitative and quantitative approaches give evidence of a number of benefits and drawbacks, with each the subject of much heated debate and discussion within the literature within the last few decades (Sale et al., 2002). The quantitative, which draws on numerate data, provides information, which is regarded as being readily analysable and replicable and not subject to researcher bias or a lack of objectivity.
While the quantitative paradigm does deliver a number of benefits with respect to analysis and indeed presentation, concerns still abound. It has been claimed that the quantitative approach often works to the exclusion of less obvious and apparent data that is, feelings, impressions and views that are not generally subject to rational or logical analysis (Jonker and Pennink, 2009).
However, it has been argued that the very richness and multifaceted nature of qualitative data means that they are less objective and biased, lacking the rigor, which characterizes quantitative research (Kress, 2011). Some have also contended that the researcher introduces a subjective element into qualitative research, as they may inadvertently steer the subject in one direction or another, either through a line of questioning or the introduction of a particular theme (Reynolds, 2011). In addition, researchers may have very evident biases and specific agendas and it can often be challenging to offset or allow for these. A further problem presents in that the very richness of the data and the interlinked and often conflicting level of detail may give rise to difficulties in relation to analysis and render some form of misinterpretation more likely. This is often the case in semi-structured interviews, where the format invites and seeks out additional detail, exploring the nuances and subtleties of the topic under investigation. Further complications may arise with regard to cultural issues as local customs may color responses with the interviewer unaware, if they are not familiar with local issues and viewpoints (Burke-Johnson, 1997).
2.1 Methodology and Strategy
In considering the methodology to be employed, it is clear that knowledge is generated and understood, carrying real implications for the form of qualitative interviewing to be undertaken. Methods and methodologies do not exist in a vacuum; rather they are subject to new and extended ways of thinking about the world. (King et al., 17) As Blaike. (p.7) states “Methodology is the analysis of how research should or does proceed. It includes discussions of how theories are generated and tested – what kind of logic is used, what criteria they have to satisfy, what theories look like and how particular theoretical perspectives can be related to particular research problems”.
It is tentatively anticipated that the study will commence with interviews of individuals in Somaliland, with the data-collecting process concluded within a few months. The interview subjects will be government officials, ministers and senior civil servants. In undertaking this research, the researcher was mindful of the fact that the number of interviews/questionnaires would be small (10 to 20) with the time scale for conducting interviews constrained. No quantitative data are likely to be collected as part of this assignment. An analysis of the literature, including academic websites and databases, academic and political journals, online resources and conference minutes was conducted to ensure that the author had a sufficient understanding of the current discourse concerning Somaliland’s quest for independence. In contrast to the inductive approach of the phenomenological, the deductive approach, employed by the positivists, looks to determine the suitability of a general theory or hypothesis through a consideration of specific observations. In such cases, positions are established a priori and the researcher works to replicate results to confirm the validity of that theory. With respect to the inductive approach adopted by this author, the observations and specific instances will be utilized to construct a general theory, data will be socially constructed or mediated through human agency, and can be viewed as an abstraction of an objective reality, (Guba and Lincoln, 1994).
For the purposes of analysis, the interview records were colour-coded to categorize detailed repetitive themes throughout the interviews and then “re-storied” to gather the various themes via an organized method. These transcripts and accounts were examined to determine if they document either recognised or new relationships. The outcomes of these assessments were then written up with graphical descriptions of themes and interactions included as applicable.
2.2 Ethical Issues
Ethical problems in interview research arise particularly because of the complexity of “researching private lives and placing accounts in the public arena” (Brinkmann, et al: 85; Birch et al., 2002:.1.). Furthermore, these arise at various points in social research and cannot be ignored, as they have a direct bearing on the integrity of the research and the methodology employed. (Brymanm, 2016: 120). It is critical that the responses provided by interviewees are truthfully preserved. A process of review of the cumulative evidence can certify this. Some consideration will also need to be given to whether the information avoids undue partiality and does not stray into partisanship. This is more likely where the subject under consideration encompasses elements that are for the most part politically charged.
The role of the researcher is also critical to the quality of the methodological process and to the soundness of the ethical decisions reached in a qualitative inquiry (Brinkman, et al., 97).
Informed consent was obtained from all research participants and these made aware of the nature and purpose of the research. Any possible risks and benefits from participation in the research project were also conveyed to participants (Brinkmann et al., 93). All participants signed a consent form, and their anonymity and confidentiality will be guaranteed if they wish so.
2.2.1 Issues of Traceability
With respect to traceability, all of the participants interviewed are extremely well-known individuals within political and social circles: they include the former Foreign Minister and current Minister of the Ministry of Finance, Dr Sa’ad Ali Shire; Founder and Chairman of the Waddani Party, Rt. Hon: Abdurrahman Abdullahi Irro; Mohamud Ahmed Mohamed, former Executive Director SONSAF, and Rt. Hon: Stephenson Doughty Member of UK Parliament (See appendix 1). Cards, photos, and other forms of identification will also be utilized.
2.2.2 Participants
Interviews in Somaliland will be conducted with three people, as time, travel and logistical constraints including availability of the participants preclude interviews with a greater number.
2.3 Research Questions and Source of Data
The conduct and success of interviews rest largely on the practical skills and personal judgments of the interviewer with the quality of interviewing given expression in the richness and value of the knowledge produced (Brinkmann et al., 20). The initial research question of the dissertation: What are the obstacles to international recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as a sovereign state was further sub-divided into the following questions:
- What has to change if the Republic of Somaliland is to convince the international community of the validity of its claim?
- What are the primary barriers to sovereignty from the perspective of the most influential states in Africa and the UN?
- Will Somaliland be Africa’s 55th country?
2.4 The Semi-structured Interview
In order to undertake this research, I traveled to Hargeisa, Somaliland, in August of 2018, with the research interviews conducted between August and September 2018, with Dr. Sa’ad Ali Shire the former Foreign Office Minister, and Current Minister of Finance, Mr Mahamud Ahmed Mohamed, former Executive Director of Somaliland None-State Actors Forum (SONSAF), Rt. Hon; Abdirahmn Mohamed Irro. Founder and Chairman of Waddani Party (main opposition party). I also traveled to Cardiff, in July 2019 to conduct research interviews with Rt.Hon. Stephen Doughty, UK Member of Parliament for Cardiff and Penarth, the British Labour Party, and the Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Somaliland (APPG).
The researcher with the permission of the participants made an audio recording of the interviews; took pictures; and notes, as well as noting the body language of the participants before, after and during the interviews. These recorded transcripts were then encrypted and stored on the researcher’s computer.
Schedule
Five high-level milestones marked the research project:
- Proposal Writing: 4th May 2017
- Fieldwork and Interviews: August to September 2018
- Literary Review: November to December 2018
- Analysis & Reporting: November to December 2018
- Concluded: October 2019
2.5 The Researcher
Before the civil war began in Northern Somalia, this researcher’s tribe were subject to systematic executions, torture, discrimination, rape, and looting, with religious leaders, businesspersons, teachers, students, and academics the subject of specific attention. Schools were closed and businesses taken over by the government without explanation. From a personal perspective, these events had a profoundly impact on my father, who was stripped of his possessions, with our family forced to flee before eventually settling in the UK. This research, therefore, can be viewed as an attempt to arrive at answers to questions that have been part of the backdrop to this researcher’s life for the last 30 years.
2.6 No Strict Rule and No Single Right Way
This research provides an account of one particular aspect of the social world; it is an account that cannot be replicated, with notions of objectivity, bias and validity irrelevant in the context (Blaike, p.6).
2.7 Trustworthiness.
For many scientists and lay people the only logical avenue to knowledge is the scientific method – this, one manifestation of the argument between the respective strengths and benefits of the qualitative versus quantitative paradigms. As such, for those, who subscribe to a positivistic approach, any social enquiry that does not achieve both objectivity and truth is to be rejected (Blaike; 211-212).
During the interview process, the importance of the researcher’s integrity is magnified because the interviewer is the main instrument for obtaining knowledge. (Brinkmann et al: 97)
2.8 Validity and Reliability
The concept of validity becomes pivotal with the postmodern dismissal of an objective reality against the knowledge to be measured (Brinkmann et al: 283). Validity is concerned with the integrity of the conclusion generated from a piece of research. (Bryman: 41).
Reliability is concerned with the question of whether the results of a study are replicable. The question commonly arises in relation to the measures devised for concepts in the social science (such as poverty, racial prejudice, relationship quality, religious orthodoxy), and whether these can be regarded as consistent (Bryman: 41). The concept of reliability, therefore, encompasses not just the question of methodology, but also embraces a moral meaning, as when we speak of a reliable person (Brinkmann et al: 281).
Other concerns involve cultural and language issues, safety, and risk. Physical place and the extent of time available to the researcher and the number of interviews are also practical matters that will primarily invest the design of the research. With regard to cultural and language matters, the researcher has strong links with Somaliland and speaks both English and Somali. This is critical as it allows the researcher to more fully appreciate and register the subtleties and nuances of the interviewees’ responses and to contextualize them.
In relation to safety and risk, while other regions are still problematic, Somaliland enjoys a measure of relative peace and security, and as such, no safety or personal security issues existence throughout the course of this author’s research.
