Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Guidelines to Conflict Sensitive Research
SWISS ACADEMIES COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. 15. NO 5, 2020
Doing research in contexts in which there is conflict is crucial. But how do you best conduct research in conflict-affected contexts? These guidelines are designed for all levels of researchers – from research student to professor – who conduct research in settings that are affected by conflict. The guidelines take you through 9 steps of a research cycle and point your attention to critical and sensitive aspects of research in and on conflict.
Adopting a conflict sensitive approach to research helps to understand the interaction of research with multiple layers of overt or latent conflicts. The interaction of research and conflict context effects what is being researched, how research is carried out, and the knowledge that is thus produced. The guidelines were developed in close collaboration with swisspeace and in close interaction with researchers, funders and people working in international cooperation.
Ursina Bentele (2020) Guidelines to Conflict Sensitive Research. Swiss Academies Communications 15 (5). DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3601000
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Lighthouse Programmes in Sustainability Research and Innovation
Wuelser G, Edwards P (2025)
Lighthouse Programmes in Sustainability Research and Innovation
Swiss Academies Reports 20 (4)Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Ethical guidelines for animal experiments
The Swiss Animal Welfare Act permits the use of animals for certain scientific purposes; at the same time, however, it requires that the dignity of animals be respected and their welfare protected. For researchers, reconciling these various societal interests can be challenging. The ethical guidelines for animal experiments (2025) are designed to clarify the margin of discretion left by the legislation and to encourage researchers to reflect on the handling of animals in their experiments. The decisive factors for updating the previous version from 2005 were new scientific knowledge and research methods on the one hand, as well as changes in the legal framework on the other.
