IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i2p844-d723410.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Challenges of Researchers in Conducting International Study during the Eruption of COVID-19: Student and Mentor Perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Jenail Mobaraka

    (Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of California Berkeley, 340 Stephens Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2314, USA)

  • Lian Elkazzaz

    (Global Studies, University of California Berkeley, 101 Stephens Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2306, USA)

  • Niveen Rizkalla

    (Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of California Berkeley, 340 Stephens Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2314, USA)

Abstract

Conducting an international research study may bear various challenges; however, during the global COVID-19 crisis, such a study undertakes unpredictable trajectories. This paper explores the challenges experienced by researchers studying Syrian refugees’ physical and mental health and aid workers serving under humanitarian organizations in Lebanon. It includes information about the changes in the study’s goals and design with the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2, as necessitated by the circumstances COVID-19 imposed. It focuses on the unique perspectives of the research team of two students and their mentor who faced multiple challenges while involved in the study, and their narratives and subjective experiences that led to new opportunities for growth in the project. The research team specifically engaged in humanistic and existential psychology in order to conduct research in a manner conducive to personal and professional development, productivity and growth. To conclude, the researchers propose recommendations to the academic community on mitigating some of the challenges faced when conducting international research, and suggestions to the humanitarian sector serving vulnerable populations in conflict zones during COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenail Mobaraka & Lian Elkazzaz & Niveen Rizkalla, 2022. "Challenges of Researchers in Conducting International Study during the Eruption of COVID-19: Student and Mentor Perspectives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-12, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:2:p:844-:d:723410
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/2/844/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/2/844/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elie Bouri & Joseph El Assad, 2016. "The Lebanese Electricity Woes: An Estimation of the Economical Costs of Power Interruptions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-12, July.
    2. Cathrine Thorleifsson, 2016. "The limits of hospitality: coping strategies among displaced Syrians in Lebanon," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(6), pages 1071-1082, June.
    3. Niveen Rizkalla & Nour K. Mallat & Rahma Arafa & Suher Adi & Laila Soudi & Steven P. Segal, 2020. "“Children Are Not Children Anymore; They Are a Lost Generation”: Adverse Physical and Mental Health Consequences on Syrian Refugee Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-21, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mkateko Vivian Mabunda & Ricky Munyaradzi Mukonza & Lufuno Robert Mudzanani, 2023. "The effects of loadshedding on small and medium enterprises in the Collins Chabane local municipality," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Jacinda K. Dariotis & Frances R. Chen & Ye Rang Park & Montana K. Nowak & Katherine M. French & Anisa M. Codamon, 2023. "Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-66, June.
    3. Gunduz, N & Kufeoglu, S. & Winzer, C. & Lehtonen, M., 2018. "Regional Differences in Economic Impacts of Power Outages in Finland," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1841, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    4. Wang, Qianzi & Zhou, Qi & Lin, Jin & Guo, Sen & She, Yunlei & Qu, Shen, 2024. "Risk assessment of power outages to inter-regional supply chain networks in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PB).
    5. Ikramullah Khosa & Naveed Taimoor & Jahanzeb Akhtar & Khurram Ali & Ateeq Ur Rehman & Mohit Bajaj & Mohamed Elgbaily & Mokhtar Shouran & Salah Kamel, 2022. "Financial Hazard Assessment for Electricity Suppliers Due to Power Outages: The Revenue Loss Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-24, June.
    6. Neda Hajibandeh & Miadreza Shafie-khah & Sobhan Badakhshan & Jamshid Aghaei & Sílvio J. P. S. Mariano & João P. S. Catalão, 2019. "Multi-Objective Market Clearing Model with an Autonomous Demand Response Scheme," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-16, April.
    7. Eggerman, Jannik J. & Dajani, Rana & Kumar, Praveen & Chui, Susannah & Qtaishat, Lina & El Kharouf, Amal & Panter-Brick, Catherine, 2023. "Social networks, empowerment, and wellbeing among Syrian refugee and Jordanian women: Implications for development and social inclusion," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    8. Rafal Ali & Ikramullah Khosa & Ammar Armghan & Jehangir Arshad & Sajjad Rabbani & Naif Alsharabi & Habib Hamam, 2022. "Financial Hazard Prediction Due to Power Outages Associated with Severe Weather-Related Natural Disaster Categories," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-25, December.
    9. Alix Chaplain & Éric Verdeil, 2022. "Governing Hybridized Electricity Systems: The Case of Decentralized Electricity in Lebanon," Post-Print hal-03814475, HAL.
    10. Harajli, H. & Kabakian, V. & El-Baba, J. & Diab, A. & Nassab, C., 2020. "Commercial-scale hybrid solar photovoltaic - diesel systems in select Arab countries with weak grids: An integrated appraisal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    11. Alix Chaplain & Éric Verdeil, 2022. "Governing Hybridized Electricity Systems: The Case of Decentralized Electricity in Lebanon," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03814475, HAL.
    12. Nour Wehbe, 2021. "The future costs of renewable electricity generation technologies in Lebanon : what projections for 2030 ?," Post-Print hal-02951669, HAL.
    13. Bešić, Almina & Aigner, Petra, 2023. "Action, Reaction and Resignation: How Refugee Women and Support Organisations Respond to Labour Market Integration Challenges during the Covid-19 Pandemic," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    14. Jakub Klas & Aleksandra Grzywacz & Katarzyna Kulszo & Arkadiusz Grunwald & Natalia Kluz & Mikołaj Makaryczew & Marzena Samardakiewicz, 2022. "Challenges in the Medical and Psychosocial Care of the Paediatric Refugee—A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-25, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:2:p:844-:d:723410. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.