Research in Classified Environments

Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies (SJMS) and Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC) invite PhD students who work within military research environments, where classification might be or become an issue, to a workshop on methodological challenges and publishing strategies. 

Many researchers within the field of military studies are expected to navigate between security concerns, research ethics and academic standards. As the security situation in Europe changes, this ability to navigate security concerns only becomes more pertinent, and relevant for more and more researchers. 

The workshop will touch upon questions such as: 

• Are there methodological approaches that are unique to working in classified environments? What are those? 
• How can you enhance your chances of publishing your research in a way that satisfies both academic standards and security concerns? 
• Are there alternative ways to publish your research? 
• What kind of documentation can you send to editors and reviewers, what do you need to keep to yourself, and what do you need to keep away from the public? 

The workshop does not give any definite answers to such questions, but invites to a forum to discuss the student’s challenges in relation to practical experience and state-of-the-art research on the field. 

Preparations

1. Each student is asked to single out one main challenge related to their research project when it comes to research in classified environments, and present this in a short and concise way (1 minute). In the introduction round at the beginning of the workshop, you are expected to present yourself, a few words about your PhD-project and tell the rest of the group about this main challenge. 

2. Also, we want all of us to have some common ground. Therefore, we have compiled a reading list of relevant background documents, that we want you to take a look at before the workshop starts. One of the articles is mandatory reading, written by one of the lecturers, Sjøgren and colleagues from the Royal Danish Defence College. This article is discussing the challenges of military security and research ethics from a practice-oriented perspective. We encourage you to look at the rest of the articles on the list as well – you might find some of them of relevance for your particular military security challenge. 

Mandatory reading 

• Sjøgren, S., Amund, J.A., Christensen, M.M., Mayland, K., Pedersen, T.M. (2024). “Military Security and Research Ethics: Using Principles of Research Ethics to Navigate Military Security Dilemmas. Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies. https://sjms.nu/articles/10.31374/sjms.185 

Optional reading 

• Soeters, J., Shields, P.M., & Rietjens, S. (Eds.). (2014). Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Military Studies (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203093801 

• De Goede, M., Bosma, E., & Pallister-Wilkins, P. (Eds.). (2019). Secrecy and Methods in Security Research: A Guide to Qualitative Fieldwork (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429398186 

• Williams, A.J., Jenkings, N., Woodward, R., & Rech, M.F. (Eds.). (2016). The Routledge Companion to Military Research Methods (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315613253 

• Wegener, C. (2012). “Would you like coffee?”: Using the researcher’s insider and outsider positions as a sensitizing concept in a cross-organisational field study. Paper presented at Ethnographic Horizons in Times of Turbulence, Liverpool, United Kingdom. https://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/would-you-like-coffee-using-the-researchers-insider-and-outsider-