© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press.
Empirical Research and the Development and Assessment of Transitional Justice Mechanisms
* Phuong Pham, PhD is Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer, Tulane University and Senior Research Fellow at the Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley, USA. Email: ppham1{at}tulane.edu
Patrick Vinck, PhD is Director of the Berkeley-Tulane Initiative on Vulnerable Populations, Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley, USA. Email: pvinck{at}berkeley.edu
In this paper, we demonstrate different methods of empirical research available to transitional justice practitioners and scholars. Guidelines on how to conduct research in the field of transitional justice are outlined on the basis of the principles of monitoring and evaluation for decision making, program development and policy development. We argue that such methods offer policy makers a systematic way to consult a population and construct a comprehensive view of what this population has experienced (e.g., violations), what they know (e.g., knowledge of various transitional justice mechanisms), what they believe in (e.g., definition of justice) or what they need (e.g., accountability). Such knowledge is essential for developing effective evidence-based transitional justice programs.
1 The authors are indebted to Eric Stover and Harvey Weinstein of the Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley for their vision of integrating social science research methods in the field of human rights and transitional justice. We are also grateful to the Human Rights Center and International Center of Transitional Justice for involving us in their programs and allowing us the freedom to develop our research with them. We also send our gratitude, respect and admiration to Drs William Bertrand and Eamon Kelly of the Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer and Drs Roger Sherwin and Janet Rice of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University for helping us strengthen the applications of empirical research in complex settings. Finally, we thank Eric Stover, Eamon Kelly and Joshua Rodd for their input on the draft manuscript.