Shades of truth and lies: Interpreting testimonies of war and violence

摘要: How should researchers treat questions of veracity when conducting interviews in settings rent by large-scale violence, such as war and genocide? To what extent trust narratives that are generated politically sensitive contexts? The article argues the value narrative data does not lie solely their truthfulness or accuracy; it also lies meta-data accompany these testimonies. Meta-data informants’ spoken unspoken thoughts feelings which they do always articulate stories interview responses, but emerge other ways. This identifies analyzes five types meta-data: rumors, inventions, denials, evasions, silences. extraneous to our datasets, be viewed integral processes collection analysis. indicate how conditions present shape people willing say about violence past, have reason embellish minimize, prefer keep themselves. Attending is important for responding fears talking a researcher ensure safety after leaves field. It crucial robustness researchers’ theories knowledge political phenomena. draws from author’s nine months fieldwork Rwanda 2004, well literature on conflict science, anthropology, history, sociology.