DevDays DocShop 2025. Researching with the Global South: Methods, Fieldwork, and Ethics.

The Development Days DocShop 2025 brought together enthusiastic doctoral researchers and distinguished professors for an insightful pre-conference workshop, designed to deepen understanding on ethical and methodological considerations for conducting meaningful and responsible research in the Global South.

The first DocShop of 2025 was held, as per tradition, within the framework of the Development Days Conference. In this occasion, the organising team found it relevant to invite both supervisors and PhD researchers to discuss the crucial topic of researching with the Global South, particularly in relation to methods, fieldwork, and ethics.

The workshop began with an inspiring and thought-provoking keynote roundtable, where the panel of supervisors, namely Anja Nygren (Professor of Global Development Studies at the University of Helsinki), Sabaheta Ramcilovic-Suominen (Associate Research Professor at the Natural Resources Institute of Finland), Irmeli Mustalahti (professor of Natural Resources Governance at the University of Eastern Finland), and Markus Kröger (Professor of Global Development Studies at the University of Helsinki) shared their research experiences, and tips to consider while researching with the Global South.

Following this, small breakout rooms were opened, allowing supervisors to meet with their assigned PhD researchers to discuss and provide feedback on pre-submitted papers. In this engaging session, both professors and PhD researchers exchanged insights on each other’s work, fostering a constructive discussion.

4 Key takeaways from the keynote roundtable

1. Researching with the Global South involves a grounded understanding of local dynamics and power relations.

Anja Nygren emphasized that when conducting research with the Global South, both methodologies and methods are crucial and closely interlinked. Prof.Nygren underscored the need for a thoughtful, contextual understanding of local conditions and a well-grounded grasp of the topic, encouraging researchers to move away from the idea of “transferring” Northern perspectives to Global South contexts.

Nygren also highlighted significant challenges researchers face, such as limited data availability, politically motivated data suppression, and ethical concerns regarding the protection of personal information of research participants. Nygren also stressed the importance of navigating power relations, not only between researchers and participants but also within the local context, where power dynamics often leave some communities particularly vulnerable.

2. Supervisors must play an essential role in guiding PhD researchers on the ethical research practices and community engagement

Irmeli Mustalahti emphasized the role of PhD supervisors in guiding researchers as they design their fieldwork and consider the ethical issues involved. Prof. Mustalahti underscored the importance of establishing long-term networks in the countries where researchers work, thus fostering co-creation of knowledge with local communities. Mustalahti presented this as an alternative to “helicopter research” practices, in which researchers conduct studies without meaningful engagement with local communities.

One of the key issues Professor Mustalahti addressed was the dissemination of research outcomes to communities where the research took place, an aspect often overlooked due to financial constraints. Mustalahti stressed the need for institutional support from universities and funding bodies to promote sustainable and ethically grounded research practices.

3. Addressing data scarcity and fact-checking in Development Studies

Markus Kröger emphasized the importance of a problem-oriented research approach, encouraging researchers to let urgent global challenges shape their research questions and methodologies. Kröger pointed out the challenges posed by data scarcity in the field of Development Studies in the Global South, stressing that researchers often start research by collecting basic data because no sufficient information is available. Kröger highlighted the importance of building robust datasets through extensive and careful fieldwork.

Additionally, Kröger stressed the importance of fact-checking and triangulating research findings by, for example, engaging in discussions with colleagues working on similar topics. He also underscored the role of research outcomes in countering false statements and misinformation spread by powerful entities, such as corporations operating in the Global South. Finally, Kröger emphasized that research findings should be made publicly accessible, as they serve as valuable resources for driving impact in the field of Development Studies.

4. Confronting unconscious biases and limited positionality

Sabaheta Ramcilovic-Suominen raised critical reflections on the unconscious biases that all researchers bring into their work and emphasized the need to recognize, question, and actively work to unlearn these biases.

Ramcilovic-Suominen critiqued the limited way positionality is often understood, reduced to a mere self-introduction. While aspects such as background, gender, and age do matter in research, Ramcilovic-Suominen argued that simply stating these facts without critically examining the foundations on which they are built is inadequate for ethical research. “Positionality should really be an account of our hidden biases and unquestioned beliefs […], and it should lead us to self-inquiry and self-study in relation to our research. I think this is a skill students should be taught and learn properly,” she emphasized.

Ramcilovic-Suominen also recommended concrete steps to avoid “extractivist” or unethical research approaches, such as involving local communities in all stages of the research process, not just during implementation. Furthermore, she stressed the importance of adapting research findings to communities’ needs and ensuring accessibility and usability. This includes translating results into local languages, sharing them with communities, and ensuring that data ownership genuinely benefits local participants. (Watch the learning bite Power Dynamics and Identity Privilege recording, part of the Responsible Global Academic Partnerships Training in 2022).

A big thanks for engaging in this space of discussion and self-reflection!

Overall, the DevDays DocShop 2025 was not only a moment of academic exchange but also a powerful reminder of the need for continuous self-reflection, critical methodology, and ethical consciousness in development research.

We extend our gratitude to all participants and professors who contributed their knowledge and experiences to this enriching dialogue. Special thanks to the Finnish Society for Development Research (FSDR) for their collaboration in organising the workshop.

The recording of the session with the roundtable and the complete remarks and insights from the speakers is on our Youtube Channel.

What’s next? Interested to know more about UniPID DocNet? Take a closer look at it here and apply for membership. See you in future events!

***

Photo credits: Ingmar H., 2025 on UnSplash.