Collecting Sensitive Human Rights Data in the Field: A Case Study from Amritsar, India

• Activity Number: 594
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 4, 2011 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights
• Author(s): Romesh Silva*+ and Jasmine Marwaha
• Companies: University of California at Berkeley and Ensaaf
• Keywords: Human Rights ; Adaptive Sampling ; Elusive Populations ; Survey Methods ; Informed Consent ; Mortality

Abstract

Between 1984 and 1996, more than 10,000 individuals were allegedly killed or disappeared during counterinsurgency operations conducted by Indian security officials against suspected Sikh militants in Punjab, India. Ongoing official investigations are assessing ``what happened' within limited parameters, while human rights groups are attempting to determine institutional responsibility. Such assessments have started to draw on statistical evidence. This paper reviews a recent survey to clarify the magnitude and pattern of conflict-related deaths in Amritsar District and associated institutional responsibility. We present the systems used during our fieldwork, balancing the need for information with concerns for safety. These systems include: (i) an ethics review and advisory panel (ERAP), (ii) customised informed consent procedures, and (iii) a safety protocol for field staff. We note our lessons learned from the field as well as the usefulness of the ERAP review process. We particularly emphasize how we were guided by the Belmont principles and relevant ethical guidelines for statistical practice.