Research Methodology Explained,
| perfectionism
Fieldwork comes first
Prior to any map, comes proper data collection. The rule "garbage in garbage out" applies to it. And the best basis for data collection is to go into the field yourself. Not only will you have grip over the quality of data since you are responsible for it, it will also provide you contextual insight, it turns out to be also much faster than any other option of data gathering that you can think of. Do you think by sending out fifty emails for information request you will receive answers for more than half of them? What about the picking up the telephone, do people on the other end have the time for you to provide you with the details? Visiting people at their office, often results in having to make one or two more appointments before you will meet the person at stake. And often you create more suspicion which you will have to backup by formal request letters, sent to their superiors. Get the picture?
Take into account the social setting
The social setting does influence your data collection. Will your staff ask on a gender equal basis? Why would that mostly not be the case? What about the ethnic, religous or politic background of your team, or those who provide you the necessary information? And although not illegal, the use of global positioning equipment (GPS) might jeapordize the safety of your local staff, even if they don't do anything wrong. Mearch listens to its local staff and takes their position very serious. Working in an insecure and militarized area does make trust within a team essential for everyones safety. Part of your information is the social setting. Another reason for going into the field yourself.
Assess the actor network
There are many information sources that you can rely on. The hybrid approach is most convenient. Information collected in the field can support questions to ask when talking to actors at humanitarian aid agencies or government. Tracing the networks of organisations and staff that are working in the area of research is a valuable entrypoint of way to verify your data. And the people to whom you talk to are the same people that later will appreciate your maps. Networking is essential to tap - and maintain - valuable information source.
Keep it simple, stupid (KISS)
If you are facing the choice between a more complex map, or simple, always go fot the latter is Mearch's device. It is often a bigger challenge to keep things simple, than to make things complex. Maps should never be complex. Maps should be visualising within seconds rather than minutes, and additional text and tables can help you elaborate further on the topic. The trick is that the map is both introductory and conclusive at the same time. Research has shown that when people buy new consumer goods, they hardly ever read the manual. For maps it is not much different. Simple and simplicity?
Don't be a perfectionist
The perfect map does not exist. That is why Mearch produces good maps instead. Our logic is that maps become outdated. When our maps are good enough to be published, they will be published. Spending two more days to get things perfect, would be a waist of your and our time. We will spend the time left to collect new data, or to train our staff in how to write a resume, or train them in how to select new recruited colleagues.
