The methodological challenges of investigating violence: a perspective from Latin America

Abstract

On this paper we reflect about the difficulties of studying violence in contexts of high incidence, specifically from the Latin America perspective. First, it dwells on how violence affects the quality of primary data generated in violent contexts, both for qualitative and for quantitative research. Second, we analyze the methodological limitations of the official records produced in such contexts, discussing a few alternatives. Aside from the methodological impact, the article includes considerations on ethical and security issues, both for researchers and for studied populations.