Abstract
ABSTRACTIn recent years, the difficulty of researching with conflict-affected populations, coupled with the demand for up-to-date and accurate knowledge about the dynamics of conflict on the ground, has led many organizations working in conflict-affected states to turn to mobile and internet technology to find solutions to peacekeeping problems. While acknowledging that new technologies can be of use to peacekeepers seeking to gain a better understanding of the conflicts that they operate in, this article warns against an over-reliance on remotely gathered conflict data. Through a comparative analysis of the author’s own experiences of carrying out both ethnographic fieldwork and utilizing crowdsourcing technologies, this article critically evaluates crowdsourcing’s uses and abuses. It argues that while crowdsourcing may be a useful supplement to knowledge gained from sustained and embedded engagement in the field, it can never be a substitute. Furthermore, an over-reliance on remotely gathered data can end up reifying simplistic or misleading understandings of the drivers of conflict, and promoting elite interests at the expense of the marginalized voices it claims to make visible.
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