Archival Research

Abstract

Abstract Questions about conflict and peace are central to many social science disciplines. There is clearly a need to know how to limit violence and resolve conflicts between individuals, groups, or nations. Such knowledge can only come about if suitable research methods are adopted to capture the reality of conflict and peace, build bridges between ideas and action, and integrate a wide range of notions from theorists and practitioners of conflict resolution. There are different methodologies and approaches to studying substantive issues of conflict and peace. Archival research, the particular methodology that is highlighted here, can achieve these objectives by reducing tensions between abstract notions and concrete actions, and between the object of study and the way it is studied. While no methodology can claim a monopoly on knowledge and research practices, there is much about archival research that makes it ideal for answering questions about peace and conflict.