With the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, the question of the effectiveness of sociological research in Eastern Europe became particularly relevant. How can research help classify political and social events? What research is possible during war? What role do researchers play during war? The new ZOiS report examines the ethical research challenges that have arisen or intensified since the start of the war, their impact on research, and how researchers and members of the ZOiS Ethics Committee deal with them. Tatiana Skrypchenko, Deputy Director of the Rating Group and Research Fellow of the Ukrainian Research Network at ZOiS, contributed to this report.

Here is a brief translation of her comment:

"War should not be a reason to stop research in and about Ukraine, even if, due to acute danger, it is not always possible to conduct research on-site. For me and my colleagues from the Rating Sociological Group, an independent Ukrainian research institute, the start of the war was a significant challenge. On February 24, 2022, every Ukrainian faced questions: 'How should we act?', 'Where should we go?', 'What can we do?' or 'What should we do?'. On the third day of the war, for us as Ukrainian sociologists, the answer was clear: we must continue our research.

The ethical dilemma was significant: is it justified to contact people for surveys during the war? Will our questions harm them? Are our studies even appropriate? These questions weighed heavily on us.

There were no instructions on how to research during war and about war. Despite the lack of clear rules, we felt an obligation to resolve this dilemma. We saw it as our duty to use our research to support society and started the first survey.

We carefully planned the survey, limiting its duration and minimizing the number of sensitive personal questions. At the same time, we showed empathy and provided respondents with the opportunity to express themselves. The result of our first survey was encouraging: respondents confirmed the importance of the survey. Their feedback showed that it supports them and meets the need to express themselves, leading to an unprecedented number of responses.

Our first studies performed several functions: they gave people the opportunity to express their opinions, provided Ukrainian science with important analytical data, strengthened the morale and cohesion of society and the army, and gave our team a sense of purpose and stability.

Looking back, it is difficult to determine the best course of action. However, I believe that if we were faced with such a choice again, we would choose the same path. Sociology is not just an academic science; it also embodies social responsibility."

Tatiana Skrypchenko, Head of Projects at the Sociological Rating Group. Deputy Director of Rating Group and research fellow of the Ukrainian Research Network at ZOiS is an independent international research institute focusing on fundamental and socially significant academic research on Eastern Europe and sharing results with policymakers, media, and the general public (recognized as an "undesirable organization" in Russia).