The Power of Participation and the Co-Production of Knowledge in Migration Research: A Critical Reflection on Methods

Abstract

The rapidly growing field of “Migration Studies” is still grappling with various conceptual and methodological challenges. Pervasive across these are how best to conduct research “with” rather than “on” migrants as its primary object of study. Though it is frequently emphasized that alternative framings in knowledge production based on the lived experiences of migrants are vital in migration research, many scholars highlight how their voices continue to remain at the margins. If such perspectives continue to be sidelined, while maintaining that they are essential for necessary changes to how migration research is conducted, then researchers need to reflect on how they can operationalize methodologies that enable more meaningful engagement with migrants in practice. Drawing on a decade of experience working directly with and alongside migrants in diverse settings, this paper reflects on the convergence of academia and practice. We emphasize that a participatory approach, when holistically applied in conducting empirical research with migrants, can better enable researchers to transcend many common challenges, provide a space for knowledge co-production, and often result in more ethical and quality research overall. The most crucial aspect for researchers to consider is how the participatory approach is both conceptualized and subsequently applied in practice. Participatory research does not necessarily need to be considered as a novel or standalone method as such but as a way to approach research that can underpin or be embedded into a multitude of migration research projects and designs, often complementing other methodologies.