Researching Forced Migration: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources
Researching Forced Migration: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources
Forced migration is a largely undefined academic field of study that is rapidly producing significant quantities of literature in need of organization. Designed and maintained by Elisa Mason, the Forced Migration Guide does an excellent job of sorting, arranging and providing access to extensive materials pertaining to refugees and displaced persons throughout the world. The Guide is funded through a Carnegie-Whitney grant from the American Library Association and is directed at a wide range of individuals seeking reliable and extensive sources of information for reference and research purposes. Drawing on her experience as an independent information specialist with a background that includes working for both the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Washington, DC and Geneva and for the Refugee Studies Centre in Oxford, she highlights multiple types of materials for her readers, including online sources, books, journal articles and other print materials, thereby providing multiple options for retrieving full-text sources. The guide is organized in two major parts. The first part provides a starting point for those seeking an understanding of forced migration, including an introduction to the various aspects of the concept of forced migration. The second part provides a helpful research structure by discussing research concepts and principles, identifying starting points, and discussing ways to expand and support one’s research. A well-functioning search feature is also available on the site. In selecting which materials to include in her guide, Ms. Mason uses the following definition of forced migration from the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM): “‘Forced migration’ is a general term that refers to the movements of refugees and internally displaced people (those displaced by conflicts) as well as people displaced by natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine, or development projects.” With credit to the Refugee Studies Centre, she further clarifies that “those who study this phenomenon tend to focus on ‘the causes and consequences of forced migration with an emphasis on understanding the experiences of those affected’ … the ‘affected’ can include refugees, asylum-seekers, conflict-displaced, development-displaced, and disaster-displaced persons; and trafficked people.” Her guide does not attempt to delineate academic boundaries within which resources must fall, but rather, on a selected basis, allows for natural overlap with other fields of study that impact or are impacted by forced migration. A small sampling of the types of resources that are identified in the guide include bibliographies, books, journal databases, encyclopedias, and people. Only two significant criteria limit her selection of individual titles: date (titles extend from 1990 to the present) and language (English is the only language, although other language versions are noted in the annotations when available, and she also provides a language index to facilitate retrieval of non-English resources). The guide is well maintained through new additions and monthly checks to verify the functioning of URLs. Researchers may also create an account to participate in the wiki and contribute comments.
Hat tip to Professor Stephen Yale-Loehr and the Cornell Law Library!
KJ