Indispensable to the research practice carried out by so-called "contracting researchers," who are often based in the Global North, "facilitating researchers," often based in those conflict-affected areas of the Global South that contracting researchers are contracted to study, are usually the ones who truly regulate the access and flow of knowledge. Yet as often as not, they are referred to merely as 'fixers', with their contributions systematically erased in final research texts.

Facilitating Researchers in Insecure Zones brings together first-hand accounts by several facilitating or "brokering" researchers in three settings afflicted by armed conflict--namely, DR Congo, Sierra Leone and Jharkhand, India--in order to highlight the varied and crucial roles they play. In so doing, this volume also bears witness to the insecurities and resource-scarcities they have to navigate in order to facilitate the research of others. Ultimately, their experiences and insights point to more equitable fieldwork and more collaborative processes of knowledge production.

For its first-hand accounts of fieldwork in insecure zones, as well as for its diverse geographical and topical coverage, this book is a must-read for researchers and students researching interested in ethnographic and fieldwork methods and ethics, particularly as they apply to conflicts and to research in the Global South.

Oscar Abedi Dunia is an independent researcher and President of the NGO Aide Rapide aux victimes des catastrophes et Recherche (ARCV), based in South Kivu, DR Congo. He has worked with researchers from Europe and the US, as well as with journalists, the UN mission, and various international humanitarian organizations.

Anju Oseema Maria Toppo is Assistant Professor in the Department of History, St. Xavier's College, Ranchi, in Jharkhand, India. She is also active in the social and resistance movements of the Adivasi (indigenous) population of Jharkhand.

James B.M. Vincent is a researcher and consultant on governance, development and conflict-related issues, youth development and employment creation programmes, and agriculture in Sierra Leone and the Mano River region.

Maria Eriksson Baaz is Professor in Political Science at the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Swati Parashar is Associate Professor in Peace and Development at the School of Global Studies, Gothenburg University, Sweden.

Mats Utas is Professor in Cultural Anthropology at Uppsala University, Sweden.